Prognostic Meteorological Discussion
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
Versions:
1
2
120 FXUS01 KWBC 220802 PMDSPD Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 300 AM EST Sat Nov 22 2025 Valid 12Z Sat Nov 22 2025 - 12Z Mon Nov 24 2025 ...Flooding rains are expected to pass south of California today; flash flooding threat will resume over the Southern Plains Sunday into Monday... ...One more day of record warmth for the South and Southeast today... An unusually strong occluded cyclone centered off the northern coast of Baja California this morning will be the impetus for a round of inclement weather across the Southwest this weekend and then across the southern Plains Sunday night into Monday. Light to moderate rain ahead of the cyclone was moving into the Desert Southwest early this morning. Nevertheless, the bulk of the heavy rainfall is forecast to pass south of California today as the cyclone center makes landfall over Baja California Peninsula. By later today into tonight, bands of moderate to locally rain with embedded thunderstorms are expected to develop and sweep across Arizona ahead of the weakening cyclone, before pushing into New Mexico early on Sunday. Meanwhile, wet snow can be expected to reach into the higher elevations of northern New Mexico and south-central Colorado on Sunday. As the system continues pushing eastward, precipitation chances will expand into the central and southern Plains Sunday and Sunday night. Warm and moist southerly flow returning from the Gulf will interact with upper-level divergence on the southern edge of a jet stream to create favorable conditions for development of widespread showers and thunderstorms. Some thunderstorms may be strong to severe, and heavy rain will likely result in scattered instances of flash flooding across portions of Central and North Texas as well as central and southern Oklahoma. Some flash floods may lead to significant impacts, and those in the southern Plains should remain weather aware through the weekend and into Monday. On the backside of the low pressure system, mixed wintry precipitation and snow appears to linger across the higher terrain in central Colorado Sunday night before tapering off early on Monday. Elsewhere, scattered showers and storms early this morning across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys are expected to taper off during the day today as an elongated low pressure system tracks across. The central Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic will need to wait until this afternoon for these showers and embedded thunderstorms to move off the East Coast together with the low pressure system. But the trailing portion of the front is expected to stall over the Florida peninsula with isolated showers through the end of the weekend. Across the northern tier, a progressive low pressure system should push a cold front across the north-Central and northeastern U.S. through the weekend. The frontal passage will be mostly dry, but some precipitation will be possible for the Great Lakes and northern New England. Precipitation will also return to the Northwest on Sunday as a Pacific system gradually pushes onshore. Precipitation should fall as rain along the coast and in the valleys while a wintry mix or snow can be expected in the mountains. In terms of temperatures, most of the Lower 48 will see above average temperatures through this weekend. The exception to this will be across the Southwest where cloud cover and precipitation will keep temperatures below average. Slightly below average temperatures will also be possible for the Northeast and New England in the wake of a frontal passage Saturday into Sunday. One more day of record warmth is forecast for the South and Southeast today as high temperatures soar into the 80s along with warm lows in the 60s. Kong/Dolan Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php $$