Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
317 PM EST Thu Jan 08 2026

Valid 00Z Fri Jan 09 2026 - 00Z Sun Jan 11 2026

...Heavy snow over parts of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and the
Central High Plains...

...Freezing rain possible from the Upper Midwest Thursday night into
Friday and the Northeast Friday evening into Saturday...

...There is a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall from parts of the
Tennessee Valley to the Lower Mississippi Valley on Friday into Saturday
morning...

A front extending from the Upper Great Lakes to the Southern Plains will
move eastward to the East Coast by Saturday. The system will trigger heavy
snow over the Upper Great Lakes Thursday night into Friday. Additionally,
an area of rain/freezing rain will develop over parts of the Upper
Mississippi Valley and the Upper Great Lakes. 

Moreover, rain will develop along and ahead of the front from the Great
Lakes to the Lower Mississippi Valley. As the rain area moves into the
Northeast, pockets of rain/freezing rain will develop over parts of
Northern New England. Further, Saturday evening into Sunday, pockets of
rain/freezing rain will develop over parts of eastern New York State and
Northern New England. 

On Friday, moisture from the Gulf will stream northward over the Lower
Mississippi Valley into the Tennessee Valley. Heavy rain will develop
along and ahead of the front over the region. Therefore, the WPC has
issued a Slight Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall from Friday into
Saturday morning.  The associated heavy rain will create mainly localized
areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and
low-lying areas being the most vulnerable.

In addition, showers and severe thunderstorms will develop over parts of
the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Tennessee Valley. Therefore, the SPC
has issued a Slight Risk (level 2/5) of severe thunderstorms over parts of
the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Tennessee Valley from Friday into
Saturday morning.  The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are
frequent lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a few
tornadoes.

Meanwhile, a deep upper-level trough over the Rockies will trigger
moderate to heavy snow over parts of the Central/Southern High Plains
Thursday night into Friday. Light snow will also develop over parts of the
Northern/Central Rockies Thursday night into Friday. Furthermore, onshore
flow off the Pacific will produce coastal rain and higher-elevation snow
over parts of the Pacific Northwest Thursday night into early Friday
morning.

Lastly, another front over the Northern Plains will move eastward into the
Great Lakes Friday into Saturday, creating light to moderate snow over the
Upper Mississippi Valley and Upper Great Lakes.


Ziegenfelder


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