Extended outlooks are more general in nature than the daily short term forecasts. Beyond a week, there is often significant uncertainty in the location and intensity of specific weather events. I will note where there is less, or greater, confidence than normal in these extended outlooks.
For more information, check out the latest weather animations.
Here is the latest short term weather forecast.
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- Another week of well below average temperatures from the Rockies to the Great Lakes along the U.S. / Canadian border.
- Chance (but only a chance) for a significant northeast snowstorm towards the end of the week.
- Storms continue to roll in off the Pacific into northern California, Oregon and Washington.
- Looking even further ahead to the middle of January, expect the west and central U.S. to warm up while the east cools down. Drier conditions over much of the country coming up.
Outlook for Tuesday – Thursday 4-6 January:
— A series of storms come through the Pacific Northwest, Inter-Mountain West and Northern Rockies Tuesday – Saturday 3-8 January.
— Storm in the Plains on Tuesday brings snow to the Northern Plains and Great Lakes on Tuesday and Wednesday
— Next storm comes out of the Rockies on Wednesday. It will bring snow to the central Plains and Midwest, and rain and possible severe weather Thursday to the lower Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.
— Very cold over much of the Central Plains on Thursday.
Outlook for Friday – Sunday 7-9 January:
— There is a possibility, although far from certain, that a storm develops Thursday night along the New Jersey coast. This storm, if it develops, will bring a significant snowstorm to the Northeast. Right now I give this storm about a 1 in 4 chance of forming.
— Cold air dominates the East in the wake of this storm on Saturday.
— Sunday will see rain from the Gulf Coast northward to the Ohio Valley. Expect a snow, freezing rain, rain mix for the Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern States.
— On Sunday, the West Coast gets a 24 hour break in the storms.
Here are the temperature, precipitation and snowfall outlooks for Tuesday – Sunday 4-9 January
Average temperature difference, relative to normal, Tuesday – Saturday 4-8 January 
Percentage of precipitation, relative to normal, through Sunday 9 January. Red and brown is drier than normal; green and blue is wetter than normal. 
Snowfall amounts through Sunday 9 January. The snow in the mid-Atlantic region is from the storm on 2-3 January. 
High temperatures Thursday 6 January
Here is the temperature and precipitation outlooks for Saturday – Wednesday 8-12 January
Here is the temperature and precipitation outlooks for Monday – Sunday 10-16 January
