346
FXUS01 KWBC 280751
PMDSPD

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
250 AM EST Fri Nov 28 2025

Valid 12Z Fri Nov 28 2025 - 12Z Sun Nov 30 2025

...Heavy lake-effect snow will continue across the Great Lakes
region into early Saturday morning; impactful snow squalls likely
for the Interior Northeast Friday...

...The next major winter storm will affect the northern Plains and
the Midwest Friday into Saturday bringing with it heavy snow and
hazardous travel conditions...

...A wintry pattern will bring well below average, chilly
temperatures to much of the eastern and central U.S. heading into
the weekend...

A winter storm that brought snow to portions of the northern
Plains and the Great Lakes will continue into the day Friday, with
strong west to northwesterly low-level post-frontal flow across
the Great Lakes helping to fuel heavy lake effect snow showers.
Snowfall rates of 1-2 inches will lead to storm total snowfall
upwards of 1-2 feet with locally higher amounts possible,
particularly downwind of Lake Superior across the northern Lower
Peninsula of Michigan as well as downwind of Lakes Erie and
Ontario. Snow squalls bringing quick bursts of heavy snow and
dangerous, white-out conditions will also be possible across the
Interior Northeast. Conditions should begin to improve into Friday
evening and especially by Saturday morning as the system moves
further away from the region and the northwesterly flow subsides.

The impacts from another winter storm have already begun to the
west, as an upper-wave drops southward over a lingering boundary
over the Pacific Northwest into the Northern Rockies/High Plains
this morning. Rain is expected for lower elevations of the Pacific
Northwest but most precipitation will be snow for both the higher
elevations here as well as east into the Rockies/Plains. Snowfall
totals generally around 3-6 inches, locally higher into the
mountains, can be expected especially across northern Montana.
Then, as the upper-wave reaches the Plains, lee cyclogenesis will
help to deepen/organize a surface low in the central High Plains
later Friday and into the overnight hours, with the intensifying
low-pressure/frontal system bringing an increasingly expanding
area of snow into the northern Plains Friday afternoon and the
Midwest by Friday night. Snow will begin to taper off for the
Rockies/northern Plains but continue for the Midwest Saturday as
the quick moving system lifts northeastward across the central
Plains and into the Midwest. A significant amount of accumulating
snow is likely from eastern South Dakota eastward through the
central and Upper Midwest, with totals of 6-12+ inches forecast.
Gusty winds may lead to periods of blowing snow with hazardous
Post-Thanksgiving travel conditions expected. Conditions across
the Midwest should begin to improve overnight Saturday and into
Sunday morning as the system lifts eastward into the Northeast.

To the south, moist return flow ahead of the system will support a
couple rounds of showers and thunderstorms across the southern
Plains east towards the Mississippi Valley overnight Friday and
through the day Saturday. Some moderate to locally heavy rainfall
is expected closer to the western Gulf Coast where moisture will
be higher and at least weak instability will be present. Some
isolated instances of flash flooding and severe weather will be
possible. Cooler temperatures to the north will spread a messy
wintry mix across portions of the Missouri Valley early Saturday
and into the Middle Mississippi and Ohio Valleys through the day.
This will continue into the northern Mid-Atlantic/New England into
Sunday.

Stagnant upper-troughing and repeated frontal passages will keep
temperatures across much of the eastern and central U.S. not only
well below average but downright chilly, with some of the coldest
air of the season so far expected. Forecast highs Friday-Sunday
generally range in the 20s and 30s for the Midwest, the 30s and
40s for New England and the Mid-Atlantic, and the 40s and 50s into
the Southeast. Another cold front passage will bring highs in the
teens and 20s to portions of the northern Rockies/Plains Friday
and then into the central Plains Saturday. Portions of the
southern Plains/Texas will see a brief warm-up into the 60s, 70s,
and low 80s Saturday as flow turns southerly ahead of the next
system before this cold front brings temperatures crashing into
the 30s and 40s for Sunday. Similarly, portions of the Southeast
coast should see a brief break from colder temperatures ahead of
this system on Sunday, as highs climb into the 60s and 70s. In the
West, temperatures will start above to well above average on
Friday before some colder air spreads westward as well, bringing a
modest cooling trend into the weekend. Forecast highs Friday
generally range from the 40s and 50s for the interior, the 50s and
60s along the West Coast, and the 60s and 70s for the Desert
Southwest, with highs dropping 2-3 degrees each day through
Sunday.

Putnam


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

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