Light Rain/Snow Possible in Northern Areas

General Overview: SIGNIFICANT WINTER WEATHER EXPECTED ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER WITH HEAVY SNOW AND FREEZING RAIN POSSIBLE FROM THE NORTHERN PLAINS TO THE NORTHEAST. RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE SOUTHEAST AND GULF COAST REGIONS, WITH POTENTIAL FLASH FLOODING IN THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN WELL ABOVE NORMAL ACROSS THE WESTERN AND SOUTHWESTERN STATES.

EAST:
A complex weather pattern will affect the Eastern region over the next several days. Initially, high pressure will keep conditions relatively quiet across much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. By Thursday, a developing low pressure system will track into the Great Lakes region, bringing rain to much of the Eastern Seaboard. The Southeast and Gulf Coast will experience rain and thunderstorms as moisture streams northward. By Friday, precipitation will spread across most of the Eastern states with rain extending from the Gulf Coast through the Mid-Atlantic. 

As the system progresses, colder air will filter into the northern portions, potentially changing rain to a wintry mix across parts of New England. The Northeast could see freezing rain in some locations, creating hazardous travel conditions. By the weekend, the system will move offshore, with high pressure building in from the south, bringing drier conditions to most areas.

Temperature Anomalies:

-Days 1-3: Slightly below normal temperatures across much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with near normal conditions in the Southeast. Coastal areas will see temperatures 2-4°F below normal.

-Days 4-6: Warming trend begins with temperatures returning to near normal across most of the region. The Northeast will remain slightly cooler than average while the Southeast warms to slightly above normal.

-Days 7-10: Temperatures trend above normal for most of the region, particularly across the interior Southeast and southern Appalachians where readings could reach 6-8°F above normal by day 10.

CENTRAL:
The Central region will experience significant winter weather over the next several days. A developing low pressure system will track across the Northern Plains, bringing heavy snow and possible freezing rain to portions of the Dakotas, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. Areas of mixed precipitation will extend southward into parts of Nebraska and Iowa. The potential for heavy snow exists across the northern tier, with accumulations likely to impact travel.

By Thursday, the system will shift eastward into the Great Lakes, with rain and thunderstorms developing across Missouri, Arkansas, and parts of the Mississippi Valley. Some of these storms could produce locally heavy rainfall. As the system progresses, colder air will filter in behind the front, changing rain to snow across portions of the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest.

By the weekend, high pressure will build into the region, bringing drier conditions to most areas, though another system may begin to affect the Southern Plains by Sunday.

Temperature Anomalies:

-Days 1-3: Well above normal temperatures across the Plains and Midwest, with readings 6-12°F above average, particularly in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest.

-Days 4-6: A cooling trend begins across the Northern Plains as the cold front moves through, but temperatures remain above normal across the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. Areas of North Dakota and Minnesota may see temperatures return to near normal.

-Days 7-10: Significant warming across the entire Central region with temperatures 8-12°F above normal, particularly across the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. The warmest anomalies will be centered over Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Missouri.

WEST:
Active weather will continue across the Western region, with multiple systems affecting the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. A low pressure system off the Pacific Coast will bring periods of rain to coastal areas of Washington, Oregon, and Northern California, with some potential for heavy rainfall and flash flooding in the Pacific Northwest. Mountain areas will see significant snowfall, particularly across the Cascades and Northern Rockies.

By Thursday, another system will move into the region, bringing additional precipitation to the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. The Southwest will remain largely dry under high pressure, though some moisture may work into portions of Southern California and Arizona by the weekend.

Multiple frontal boundaries will cross the region through the period, bringing periods of precipitation to the Northwest while the Southwest remains mostly dry. Mountain snow will continue across higher elevations of the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and Rockies.

Temperature Anomalies:

-Days 1-3: Well above normal temperatures across most of the West, with readings 6-12°F above average across the Great Basin, Rockies, and Southwest. The Pacific Northwest will see more moderate temperature anomalies.

-Days 4-6: Continued warm conditions with temperatures remaining 6-12°F above normal across the interior West, particularly across the Four Corners region and Great Basin. Coastal areas will see more moderate temperature anomalies.

-Days 7-10: Persistent warmth with temperatures 8-14°F above normal across the interior Southwest and Southern Rockies. The warmest anomalies will be centered over Colorado, Utah, New Mexico, and Arizona.

TROPICAL:
No tropical cyclone activity is expected during the next 7 days in either the Atlantic or Eastern Pacific basins.