Weather Prediction Center

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

US Day 3-7 Hazards Outlook
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
311 PM EST Thu Dec 30 2021

Valid Sunday January 02 2022 - Thursday January 06 2022

Hazards:
- Heavy precipitation across portions of California, the Great Basin, and the Pacific Northwest,
Sun-Thu, Jan 2-Jan 6.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Northern/Central Plains, the Great Basin, the Northern/Central
Rockies, and the Pacific Northwest, Mon-Wed, Jan 3-Jan 5.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Great Lakes and the Upper Mississippi Valley, Wed, Jan 5.
- Heavy snow across portions of the Northeast, Sun, Jan 2.
- Flooding possible across portions of the Central Appalachians, the Ohio Valley, and the Tennessee
Valley.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of the Plains, and the Mississippi Valley, Sun,
Jan 2.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of the Northern/Central Plains, the Upper/Middle
Mississippi Valley, and the Northern Rockies, Wed-Thu, Jan 5-Jan 6.
- Heavy precipitation across portions of the Alaska Panhandle, Sun, Jan 2.
- High winds across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and mainland Alaska, Sun-Mon, Jan 2-Jan 3.
- High winds across portions of the Aleutians, Mon, Jan 3.
- Much below normal temperatures across portions of the Alaska Panhandle and mainland Alaska,
Sun-Thu, Jan 2-Jan 6.

Detailed Summary:

Temperatures over the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Southern Plains will have another day of
frigid low temperatures on Sunday. The low temperatures over the Upper Mississippi Valley will be
near twenty-five degrees below zero and with the single digits extending as far south as the
Texas/Oklahoma Panhandles. The temperatures will moderate on Monday and Tuesday as low pressure
moves across the Northern Tier States.

Meanwhile, moisture pooling along a front and low pressure over the Northeast will produce an area
of Heavy Snow across portions of Northern New England on Monday. Later on Monday, the moisture
will move out of the area, and the snow will come to an end. Not shown on the Hazards Chart,
however, still worth noting is the strong wind along the Gulf and the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast Coast
on Monday as the low pressure moves off the coast. These items are not hazards per se but need to
mention in this discussion. Additionally, an area of deep low pressure will move southeastward out
of the Gulf of Alaska, moving onshore over the British Columbia/Northwest on Monday into Tuesday.

As a result, the storm will produce a region of Heavy Precipitation extending from the Pacific
Northwest to Central California on Monday into Tuesday. The precipitation will be snow at higher
elevation and rain at lower elevation. As the system moves inland, an area of Heavy Snow will
develop over parts of the Northern Intermountain Region into the Northern Rockies on Monday and
Thursday. However, the Heavy Precipitation will cover the Northwest by Thursday.

High pressure over Northwestern Canada and Alaska will move southward, nosing into the Plains on
Wednesday and Thursday. The high, cold air will move over the Plains with high temperatures in the
single digits to just below zero by Wednesday. The low temperatures for Thursday will be in the
low to mid-twenties below zero, with the single digits extending into Iowa and Nebraska.

Low pressure moving across the Great Lakes by Wednesday into Thursday will produce an area of Heavy
Snow across the Upper Peninsula of Michigan and adjacent areas on Thursday. The system will be
very dynamic to make the heavy snow due to the lack of a strong moisture source.

Over Alaska, an area of deep low pressure moving southward out of the Gulf of Alaska will produce
an area of Heavy Precipitation from Sitka southward on Monday. The pressure gradient associated
with the area of deep low pressure will produce an area of High Wind with a wind speed of greater
than 50 knots from parts of the Alaska Peninsula eastward to Yakutat on Sunday into Monday. Behind
the system, very cold high pressure will build over the Far North producing a frigid Arctic air
mass that will spread below normal temperatures across eastern sections of Interior Alaska, much of
southwestern and south-central Alaska, and possibly into the Panhandle from Sunday into Thursday.
A second area of deep low pressure will approach the Aleutians on Sunday into Monday, then stall
out as a third low moves off the Asian Coast on Tuesday. The area of low pressure will have a
strong pressure gradient over the Near and Rat Islands for Monday. Accordingly, an area of High
Winds is depicted on the Hazards Chart over the western part of the Aleutians.


Ziegenfelder