WEATHERAmerica Newsletter, Saturday, January 3, 2026; SHORT TERM And MEDIUM RANGE OUTLOOKS

[Larry Cosgrove]

SHORT RANGE OUTLOOK

(Through The Next 72 Hours)

 

Now Maybe We Can Start A Warm-Up?

METEOBLUE

PivotalWeather.Com (3)

WeatherBELL

College Of DuPage Weather Laboratory (3)

If you live in the north central or northeastern states, you might not mind the possibility of a warming trend. Problem is, most of the moderation that occurs will be strictly in the southern half of the lower 48 states, and it is unlikely that the true temperature change will occur in the snow-covered, freezing locations until the middle of the week. Besides the ongoing dense snowpack in Canada through the Great Lakes and the Northeast, another shortwave moving out of Alberta will spread more snow and ice, mostly along and above the Interstate 90 corridor from South Dakota into western and central Massachusetts in early week. Another such storm will pass through the northern third of the nation later, perhaps making a boost in temperature in the Ohio Valley and the Northeast while replenishing snow and ice from the Upper Midwest into the St. Lawrence Valley and New England. And even though thermal anomalies will be warm in much of the Intermountain Region, fragments of the shortwaves ejecting out of the Gulf of Alaska vortex should lay down more snow across the Intermountain Region.

But the mild/warm patter for the southern two-thirds of the country is real, and enjoy it before the cold, with a winter storm, reasserts the season after January 13.

MEDIUM RANGE OUTLOOK

(Four To Ten Days From Now)

 

Storm Threat Arrives From West To Enhance Eastern USA Warm-Up

METEOBLUE

UQAM Meteocentre (4)

TrueWx.Com (4)

College Of DuPage Weather Laboratory (3)

Of the storms in the Pacific Basin that could "bring winter back", it is probably the second system below Hawaii that probably will turn the 500MB longwave pattern over North America into a more wintry turn, replete with high-latitude blocking and a further-south snow/ice change line. Even though some cold and more snowfall is possible through the Intermountain Region in the medium range, I suspect that any real impacts for cold below the Canadian border will be after January 13. Most of the model guidance takes the southern branch storm off of the Texas Gulf Coast, with chances for heavy rain ending as frozen precipitation is likely to increase. Warming will be strong to the right of the upper trough, so for about three to four days, readings to the right of the Mississippi River will be well above normal. Enjoy it while it lasts.