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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- Unsettled weather continues in the West.
- Bitterly cold across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest this week.
- Much above average temperatures continue for Texas, the Mid South, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic States.
- Major storm for the East next weekend. Some locations in the Northeast may have a big snowstorm. There will also be a severe weather threat for the Mid-South and Southeast.
- The above average warmth ends for most of the country by next weekend.
Outlook for Tuesday – Thursday 28-30 December:
— On Tuesday, unsettled weather continues for the West Coast and moves into the Southwest.
— Developing storms brings more snow to the Upper Midwest and rain to the Ohio Valley, moving into PA and NY as a rain/ice/snow mix Tuesday night.
— Wednesday will see rain for CA and snow spreading across the Great Basin and into the Rockies.
— Rain develops over the deep South and moves into the Mid-Atlantic States.
— On Thursday, the next Pacific storm impacts WA and OR; snow moves into the Inter-Mountain West.
— Rain exits the East Coast.
— Well above average temperatures remain locked in over TX, the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic. Much colder than normal over the Northern Plains and West Coast.
Outlook for Friday – Sunday 31 December – 2 January:
— Friday and Friday night a significant storm develops over the Southwest bringing rain and high elevation snow.
— On Saturday, the snow spreads north and east across the Central U.S. into the western Great Lakes States, while rain is expected from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio River Valley and east to the Mid-Atlantic States.
— Saturday night and Sunday bring a major storm to the East. Expect heavy rain, thunderstorms and the chance of severe weather in the mid-south and southeast. The Mid-Atlantic states should remain as rain. The Northeast will see a mix of rain, snow and ice. There is the potential, although not certainty, for this to be a major snow event for Upstate NY and interior New England.
— This storm system will likely (finally) change the weather pattern across North America and bring an end to the much above normal temperatures in TX and much of the East. After the storm, temperatures should be near or slightly below normal for most of the country.
Here are the temperature, precipitation and snowfall outlooks for Tuesday – Sunday 28 December – 2 January
Average temperature difference, relative to normal, Tuesday – Saturday 28 December – 1 January 
Percentage of precipitation, relative to normal, through Sunday 2 January. Red and brown is drier than normal; green and blue is wetter than normal. 
Snowfall amounts through Sunday 2 January. The snows continue for the West Coast mountains and Upper Midwest.
Hints of more snow coming to the Northeast after 2 January.
Low temperatures Sunday morning 2 January
Here is the temperature and precipitation outlooks for Saturday – Wednesday 1-5 January
Here is the temperature and precipitation outlooks for Monday – Sunday 3-9 January
