778 FXUS01 KWBC 282000 PMDSPD Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 300 PM EST Sun Dec 28 2025 Valid 00Z Mon Dec 29 2025 - 00Z Wed Dec 31 2025 ...Arctic air descending into the Plains today will be followed by a potent winter storm from the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes today into Monday... ...Record warmth across the central and southern U.S. this morning will be drastically dispelled by Arctic wind chills tonight... Over the next 48 hours, an intense cyclone will take the center stage with impacts from this system ranging from heavy snow and blizzard conditions across the upper Midwest to the Great Lakes, freezing rain across New England, thunderstorms through the eastern U.S. and the South, as well as widespread blustery winds to locally damaging winds to these areas. A low pressure system is rapidly developing over the Mid-Mississippi Valley along an Arctic front as the incoming frigid air from Canada mingles with the anomalous warm airmass that has settled across the Central/Southern U.S. for many days. As the system accelerates northeastward today, heavy snow and blizzard conditions will continue across the upper Midwest and the Great Lakes through tomorrow. Meanwhile, freezing rain ahead of a warm front is forecast to expand across the Northeast before moving eastward through interior New England tonight. By Monday morning, a mix of snow sleet and freezing rain will likely impact northern New England before warmer air changes the wintry mix to all rain later on Monday. Across the central Great Lakes, wind-swept rain and embedded thunderstorms later today into tonight are forecast to turn into a blizzard by early on Monday with blowing snow. Snowfall amounts are expected to well exceed a foot across the upper Great Lakes, particularly along the south shore of Lake Superior where 2 feet of snow is possible together with whiteout conditions at the height of the storm. See the latest WPC key message at wpc.ncep.noaa.gov for further information on this potent winter storm. Winter precipitation aside, the Arctic cold front sweeping south will bring a drastic end to the warmth today as a quick round of strong thunderstorms signal the arrival of the "Blue Norther". Areas from the Arklatex to the Midwest can expect these thunderstorms to sweep through later today, followed by the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys and the Deep South into Monday morning. A couple of tornadoes and damaging wind gusts are possible with some of these storms in the Ohio Valley this afternoon owing to the unusually warm and moist pre-frontal airmass in place. By tomorrow, the arrival of the Arctic airmass across the East Coast will usher in showers and gusty winds from the west, leaving in it's wake high temperatures 30 to 40 degrees colder than today across much of the Nation's midsection. In the West, tranquil conditions will broadly prevail as the developing big storm in the upper Midwest becomes the dominant feature across the Lower 48, with the exception being southeastern New Mexico and Southwest Texas tomorrow as blowing, accumulating snow falls near the tail end of the Arctic front. Meanwhile, the big storm in the Great Lakes will slowly move into eastern Canada later on Monday. But the huge circulation of the system will continue to spread very strong and gusty winds into the entire eastern U.S. with snow lingering especially downwind from the lower Great Lakes. Rain showers should taper off or end as light snow across Maine by Tuesday morning behind the cold front. Asherman/Kong Areas of snow continue to expand across the northern Plains this afternoon, while rain and embedded thunderstorms are tracking Midwest ahead of the low pressure center. Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php $$