Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 PM EST Thu Jan 15 2026

Valid 00Z Fri Jan 16 2026 - 00Z Sun Jan 18 2026

...Snow squalls will create dangerous travel conditions tonight through
Friday for the northern/central Plains and Midwest...

...Very gusty winds for much of the northern and central High Plains
through Friday...

...Variable temperatures following frontal passages for the eastern to
central U.S. while the West remains above average and mild...

Lingering snow showers will continue for portions of the Interior
Northeast through this evening following a cold front passage. Additional
totals will generally remain light but some more moderate snow is expected
for regions downwind of the Great Lakes. To the west, another clipper-like
system dropping southeastward through the Northern Plains and into the
Midwest will bring a broad area of snow this evening and into the day
Friday. Dangerous travel is expected as snow squalls following the passage
of an arctic front will lead to brief but sudden, intense bouts of snow
along with strong gusty winds leading to icy roads and near-zero
visibility. Even outside any snow squalls, strong winds are expected, with
gusts above 60 mph possible across the northern and central High Plains.
These winds will also bring the threat of hazardous travel, especially for
high profile vehicles, and could lead to scattered power outages that
would be particularly dangerous as sub-zero wind chills arrive behind the
front. In addition, regions downwind of the Great Lakes as well as along
the higher elevations of the Appalachians are expected to see some more
moderate to locally heavy snow. The system will continue east into the
Northeast on Saturday bringing the chance for some wintry precipitation,
though any accumulations should generally remain light outside of higher
elevations of the interior mountains. Snow will also continue downwind of
the Great Lakes with favorable west-northwesterly post-frontal flow in
place. Further to the south, some rain showers are forecast across the
Tennessee Valley to the Gulf Coast Saturday as well.

Quick system/frontal passages will lead to variable temperatures from the
central to eastern U.S. Conditions remain very cold and below average from
the Mississippi Valley to the East Coast today following a cold frontal
passage. Freezing temperatures are expected as far south as northern to
central Florida Friday morning and could lead to damage to crops and other
sensitive vegetation. Conditions will moderate heading into the weekend
with seasonable to above average high temperatures for the Mississippi
Valley/Midwest Friday and the East Coast Saturday. Meanwhile, after a very
mild, even warm day for many across the Plains today, a pair of cold
fronts will bring much colder temperatures across the Plains and into the
Mississippi Valley Friday and into the weekend. Conditions will be
downright frigid for many by Saturday with highs in the single digits and
teens and below zero wind chills expected across much of the northern to
central Plains and Upper Midwest. An upper-ridge over the western U.S.
will continue to lead to more consistent, well above average, mild to warm
temperatures.   

Putnam


Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php