130 
FXUS01 KWBC 192003
PMDSPD

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
300 PM EST Mon Jan 19 2026

Valid 00Z Tue Jan 20 2026 - 00Z Thu Jan 22 2026

...Arctic air intrusion into the eastern half of the country with
heavy lake-effect snow downwind of the Great Lakes and snow
squalls downwind of Lake Erie...

...Freeze warnings in effect for portions of southern Georgia down
to central Florida...

A reinforcing surge of arctic air is currently in progress across
the Great Lakes into the Midwest this afternoon.  As the arctic
boundary forces its way eastward, snow showers and even brief
periods of snow squalls are anticipated in portions of western
Pennsylvania downwind from Lake Erie.  In addition, the arctic air
moving over the Great Lakes will trigger another round of heavy
lake-effect snow for the Snow Belt areas for days to come.  Over a
foot of new snow can be expected downwind of Lake Erie and
especially downwind of Lake Ontario through Tuesday evening,
followed by lighter snowfall amounts on Wednesday.  A couple of
clipper low pressure systems will sweep across the northern tier
states through the next couple of days bringing a couple quick
rounds of light snowfall.  Another reinforcing surge of arctic air
will follow the second clipper on Wednesday into the northern
Plains.  Snow showers could become squally as the cold front
pushes through.  Sub-zero wind chill temperatures as low as the
-30s are forecast across the upper Midwest into the upper Great
Lakes through Tuesday morning.  Sub-zero wind chills are also
forecast for areas as far south as the central Appalachians into
Tuesday morning.  Temperatures will recover to above normal levels
on Wednesday from the Plains eastward to the Ohio Valley and the
Great Lakes before the arrival of the next arctic surge into the
northern Plains during the day on Wednesday.  Cold Weather
Advisories are in effect from the upper Midwest into the Great
Lakes, and across the Ohio Valley, the Appalachians and into the
northern Mid-Atlantic.  Freeze warnings are in effect for portions
of southern Georgia into the northern Florida Peninsula while cold
weather advisories are in effect for central Florida Peninsula
into Tuesday morning.

In contrast to the cold weather in the eastern half of the
country, milder than normal temperatures are expected to persist
through the next few days.  Under the influence of a stagnant high
pressure system at all levels of the atmopshere, air quality
alerts and air stagnation advisories have been issued across many
areas in the Northwest while dense fog advisories are in effect
for the interior valley of California.  Meanwhile, the southern
Plains will remain dry before moisture from the Gulf is forecast
to return on Wednesday with showers and possibly embedded
thunderstorms developing from eastern Texas to the lower
Mississippi Valley toward Tennessee later that day.

Kong


Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php

$$