Prognostic Meteorological Discussion
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644
FXUS01 KWBC 290750
PMDSPD

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
249 AM EST Sat Nov 29 2025

Valid 12Z Sat Nov 29 2025 - 12Z Mon Dec 01 2025

...Major winter storm over the central/northern Plains will spread
eastward into the Midwest and Great Lakes region this weekend with
widespread heavy snowfall and hazardous travel conditions...

...Scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms will focus
along the western Gulf Coast this weekend with locally heavy
rainfall possible...

...A wintry pattern bringing well below average, chilly
temperatures to much of the eastern and central U.S....

A winter-like pattern over the CONUS will continue to bring bouts
of impactful winter weather as well as very chilly temperatures
into the weekend. Bands of heavy snow continue this morning across
portions of the central/northern Plains ahead of an upper-wave
over the Rockies. As this upper-wave emerges over the Plains
today, lee cyclogenesis will help to deepen/organize a low
pressure system that will lift northeastward from the central
Plains into the Midwest, continuing to support a broad area of
heavy snow spreading eastward into the Great Lakes region.
Snowfall rates exceeding 1"/hour are expected, especially through
the day Saturday, leading to storm total accumulations between
6-12". The combination of heavy snow rates along with gusty winds
will create dangerous travel conditions due to limited visibility
and snow-covered roadways. The snow should taper off from west to
east overnight Saturday and into Sunday morning. To the south in
the warm sector of the system, moist Gulf return flow ahead of an
eastward moving cold front will help to support scattered to
widespread showers and thunderstorms from the southern Plains east
into the Lower Mississippi Valley today. Some moderate to locally
heavy rainfall is expected especially along the western Gulf Coast
where greater moisture and at least some modest instability will
be present. Some isolated flash flooding will be possible, as well
as some severe weather. A messier wintry mix can be expected ahead
of the low across portions of the Middle Mississippi and Ohio
Valleys. The low pressure system will lift northeastward from the
Great Lakes into southeastern Canada on Sunday, with a wintry mix
spreading into the Interior Northeast and New England. Rain
showers will extend southwestward along the trailing cold front
form the coastal Mid-Atlantic into the Tennessee Valley, with
heavier showers and thunderstorms continuing along the western
Gulf Coast.

Elsewhere, another upper-wave will drop southward across the
Pacific Northwest/northern Great Basin later Saturday, bringing
some light low elevation/coastal showers and interior/higher
elevation mountain snow. The upper-wave will push a lingering
frontal boundary southward as a cold front into the day Sunday,
helping to support some more moderate interior snowfall across the
central Great Basin into the central Rockies. Some lighter snow
may also spread into the central Plains with showers/thunderstorms
for Texas ahead of the upper-wave into early Monday.

Broad, mean upper-troughing across the eastern/central U.S. and a
series of cold front passages will continue to bring well below
average, cold to very cold temperatures this weekend. The next
cold front pressing southward through the Plains will bring highs
as low as the single digits for the northern High Plains
Saturday-Sunday, with 20s and 30s into the northern and central
Plains and eastward into the Midwest/Mississippi Valley. Highs
will be much warmer and into the 70s and 80s ahead of the cold
front in Texas on Saturday before the frontal passage brings
temperatures crashing down Sunday, with highs only into the 30s
and 40s for many locations. Gusty winds with the front will lead
to wind chills in the teens and 20s Sunday morning as far south as
north Texas. Conditions will remain cooler Saturday along the East
Coast as well, with 30s and 40s as far south as the Carolinas, and
50s for the broader Southeast. Southerly flow ahead of the next
approaching system will bring a brief warm up for southeastern
coastal locations on Sunday as highs climb into the 60s.
Temperatures will remain relatively warmer over the western U.S.
with highs around or a bit above seasonal averages. Forecast highs
Saturday-Sunday range from the 40s in the interior, 50s and 60s
along the West Coast, and 60s and 70s for the Desert Southwest.

Putnam

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

$$