Variable Tempeatures

General Overview: ACTIVE WINTER WEATHER PATTERN ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER WITH HEAVY SNOW POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND FREEZING RAIN THREAT IN THE NORTHEAST. SIGNIFICANT RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED ALONG THE GULF COAST. MUCH ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL DOMINATE THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS THROUGH THE EXTENDED PERIOD.

EAST:
A complex weather pattern will affect the Eastern U.S. over the next several days. High pressure initially positioned off the East Coast will give way to a developing low pressure system. The Northeast faces a significant winter weather threat with freezing rain possible across portions of Pennsylvania and interior New England. Mixed precipitation will spread across the Great Lakes region, transitioning between rain and snow depending on temperature fluctuations. By midweek, precipitation will diminish as high pressure builds in from the Southeast. Rain showers will affect portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast early in the period, with generally drier conditions expected later in the week. The Ohio Valley will see precipitation gradually diminish as the frontal boundary moves eastward.

Temperature Anomalies:
-Days 1-3: Near normal temperatures across much of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, with slightly below normal readings in northern New England. The Southeast will experience slightly above normal temperatures, particularly in Florida and along the Gulf Coast.

-Days 4-6: Warming trend begins with temperatures climbing to 3-6°F above normal across most of the region, with the warmest anomalies in the Ohio Valley and interior Southeast.

-Days 7-10: Continued above normal temperatures for most areas, though some cooling toward normal in the Northeast. The Southeast remains 3-5°F above normal.

CENTRAL:
The Central U.S. will experience significant temperature contrasts as warm air dominates the southern Plains while cooler air affects the northern Plains. A low pressure system tracking across the northern tier will bring snow to portions of the Dakotas and Minnesota early in the period. As this system moves eastward, a strong high pressure will build across the central Plains, bringing well above normal temperatures to the region. By midweek, another low pressure system develops in the northern Plains, bringing additional precipitation chances. The southern Plains will remain largely dry with occasional rain chances along the Gulf Coast. Warm fronts and cold fronts will create sharp temperature boundaries across the region throughout the period.

Temperature Anomalies:
-Days 1-3: Dramatically above normal temperatures across the central and southern Plains, with anomalies of 8-12°F above normal in areas of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Nebraska. Near normal temperatures in the northern Plains.

-Days 4-6: Continued very warm conditions with temperature anomalies expanding and intensifying. Areas from Oklahoma to Missouri could see temperatures 10-15°F above normal, with the warmest anomalies centered on the southern Plains.

-Days 7-10: Gradual moderation of the warm anomalies, but still remaining 4-8°F above normal across much of the region, particularly in the central Plains.

WEST:
An active weather pattern will affect the Western U.S. with multiple systems bringing precipitation. The Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies face potential heavy snow, with heavy rain possible along the California coast. A low pressure system off the West Coast will drive moisture inland, bringing precipitation to much of the region. High pressure centered over the Great Basin will create drier conditions in the Southwest initially, but precipitation chances increase later in the period as the pattern evolves. Mountain snow will be significant across the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and northern Rockies. By late week, another system approaches the Pacific Northwest, bringing renewed precipitation chances.

Temperature Anomalies:
-Days 1-3: Above normal temperatures across most of the West, particularly in the Great Basin and Southwest where anomalies will reach 6-10°F above normal. Near normal temperatures along the immediate Pacific coast.

-Days 4-6: Continued warm anomalies across the interior West, with the warmest readings in the Great Basin and Rocky Mountain states. Slight cooling trend begins along the Pacific Northwest coast.

-Days 7-10: Gradual moderation of temperature anomalies, but still remaining 3-6°F above normal across much of the interior West, with the warmest anomalies shifting toward the northern Rockies.

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