Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
130 AM EST Sat Jan 24 2026
Valid 12Z Sat Jan 24 2026 - 12Z Mon Jan 26 2026
...Heavy snow over the Central/Southern Plains to the Northern
Mid-Atlantic/Northeast...
...Catastrophic Ice Accumulation from the Southern Plains to the
Mid-Atlantic/Southeast...
...Bitterly cold temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills from the
Southern Plains to the Northeast...
High pressure moving southward from Central Canada will bring bitterly
cold temperatures over the Plains, the Great Lakes, and the
Northeast/Mid-Atlantic. Low pressure lingers over the Gulf Coast through
Saturday evening, streaming moisture northward over the cold air. A second
area of low pressure develops along the Southeast Coast and moves
northeastward along the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic Coast through Sunday.
The system will produce a significant long-duration winter storm with
widespread heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain from the Southern Rockies
to New England, lasting through Monday. The storm develops heavy snow
across a broad region from the Southern Rockies and Plains through the
Mid-Atlantic and into Southern New England. Snowfall totals exceeding
twelve inches are likely across the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and
Northeast, creating widespread travel disruptions. South of the heaviest
snow, a stripe of significant sleet accumulations of 1-3 inches is likely.
In addition, widespread freezing rain and sleet are expected across the
Southern Plains, the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and
the Southeast. Impacts from the storm may include long-duration power
outages, extensive tree damage, and extremely dangerous or impassable
travel conditions. Catastrophic impacts are expected where freezing rain
amounts exceed a half inch, with over one inch totals possible in parts of
northern Louisiana, central and northern Mississippi, southern Tennessee,
and the southern Appalachians. In the wake of the storm, communities from
the Southern Plains to the Northeast will contend with bitterly cold
temperatures and dangerously cold wind chills. This will cause prolonged
hazardous travel and infrastructure impacts.
Moreover, lake-effect snow will develop over the Great Lakes through early
Sunday morning. By Sunday, heavy snow from the storm over the Ohio Valley
will inch into the Great Lakes. Additionally, upslope flow will create
snow over parts of the Northern/Central High Plains through late Saturday
afternoon. The upslope snow will also develop over parts of the
Central/Southern High Plains Sunday afternoon into Monday. Furthermore, an
upper-level low moving into Northwestern Mexico will develop
lower-elevation rain and higher-elevation snow over the Southwest Saturday
and snow over the Southern Rockies/Southern High Plains Saturday night
into Sunday.
Ziegenfelder
