Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 AM EST Tue Jan 13 2026

Valid 12Z Tue Jan 13 2026 - 12Z Thu Jan 15 2026

...Well above average temperatures linger across much of the Lower 48
today; next round of cold air arrives tomorrow...

...Wintry weather possible for parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes and
Appalachians by mid-week...

Unseasonably mild weather will persist across much of the Lower 48 today
with a staunch ridge centered over the West. In fact, highs over parts of
the Nation's Heartland could climb into the 50's and even upper 60's this
afternoon, which roughly 25-30 degrees above average for this time of
year. However, the passage of a modest cold front this evening will kick
off a cooling trend east of the Mississippi River as an upper-trough and
associated low pressure wave amplify over the Upper Great Lakes. Much
colder air arrives tomorrow as a secondary cold front wraps around the
deepening cyclone in Quebec, where highs could dip into the 20's and 30's
on Thursday over parts of the Ohio Valley and Appalachians.

The cold air provided by tomorrow's front will also spread wintry weather
from the Midwest into the Appalachians and Northeast. Heavy lake effect
snow is expected to begin tomorrow morning downwind of Lake Michigan over
parts of northern Indiana and southwest Michigan. Otherwise, impacts from
this event on Thursday appear minor, although some uncertainty remains
with the forecast.


Asherman


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