Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
409 AM EDT Thu Apr 02 2020

Valid 12Z Thu Apr 02 2020 - 12Z Sat Apr 04 2020

...A nor'easter will edge westward closer toward New England, bringing
strong winds, rain, interior wet snow as well as coastal flooding to the
Northeast...

...Heavy snow, freezing rain, and cold temperatures will spread eastward
across the north-central U.S. through Friday...

...Chance of heavy rain increases over central and eastern Texas Friday
into Saturday...

A blocking pattern developing in the higher latitudes will lead to rather
atypical progressions of weather systems across the U.S. for the next few
days.  First of all, a large and intense low pressure system that has
moved off the Mid-Atlantic coast yesterday is forecast to retrograde, or
move back closer toward the East Coast during the next couple of days. 
This will increase the chance of strong gusty winds along with rain to
spread from east to west across New England today into Friday as a back
door warm front from the Canadian Maritimes sweeps across the region.  It
appears that the storm will edge closer toward New England than earlier
forecasts.  Therefore, coastal sections will be more likely to be impacted
by high winds, flooding, high surf and possibly beach erosion.  Over the
interior sections near the Canadian border, temperatures are expected to
be cold enough to support wet snow and mixed precipitation.  The storm
center is forecast to make its closest approach to Cape Cod Friday morning
before gradually pulling back out to sea.  Winds and rain are expected to
slowly taper off later on Friday, and may end by Saturday morning.

Meanwhile on the other side of the country, a strong cold front is
expected to move slowly eastward across the northern Plains and into the
upper Midwest as a broad upper-level vortex interacts with a surge of cold
air from western Canada. Behind this front, temperatures are forecast to
fall much below average across the northern Rockies to northern and
central Plains. A swath of accumulating snow is expected today from the
northern Rockies to North Dakota. By Friday, the snow should be confined
to northern Minnesota into northern Wisconsin where more than 6 inches of
accumulation is possible. In addition, freezing rain is expected to
precede the snow from the eastern portions of the Dakotas into western
Minnesota.

Along and ahead of the cold front, rain and scattered thunderstorms are
expected for portions of the Plains and down into the Mississippi Valley.
Rainfall totals will generally be light today, but amounts over an inch
are possible on Friday into early Saturday for central and eastern Texas
as moisture from the Gulf is drawn northward ahead of the strong front. 
Behind the front, elevated to critical fire weather conditions are
forecast by the Storm Prediction Center for the southern High Plains.
Warmer than average temperatures are likely ahead of the cold front.

Kong


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