539 FXUS06 KWBC 072002 PMDMRD Prognostic Discussion for 6 to 10 and 8 to 14 day outlooks NWS Climate Prediction Center College Park, MD 300 PM EST Sat February 07 2026 6-10 DAY OUTLOOK FOR FEB 13 - 17 2026 The 0Z ECMWF, GEFS and Canadian ensemble mean forecasts generally agree on the average large-scale circulation pattern over North America for the 6-10 day period and are mostly consistent on underlying variations in the pattern through the period. An amplified ridge and associated positive 500-hPa height anomaly are predicted over the North Pacific extending over the Aleutians and southwestern Mainland Alaska in each of the recent model ensemble mean forecasts. Further north, a trough is predicted to the west of the Bering Sea with negative 500-hPa height anomalies extending across northern Mainland Alaska. A trough and negative 500-hPa height anomalies progress southeastward along the Pacific Coast of North America and amplify near the West Coast of the contiguous United States (CONUS) in all ensemble mean forecasts. The GEFS and Canadian ensemble means predict more rapid amplification of negative 500-hPa height anomalies compared to the ECMWF ensemble mean. Negative 500-hPa height anomalies are predicted over the western CONUS from the Pacific Coast to the High Plains in a manual blend of the three 0Z ensemble mean forecasts, weighting the ECMWF greater due to recent model skill. Ridging and positive 500-hPa height anomalies progress eastward from the central to the eastern CONUS in each of the ensemble mean forecasts, while a trough over the East Coast progresses into the Atlantic late in the period. Above normal temperatures are likely over the Aleutian Islands in the 6-10 day period, under positive 500-hPa height anomalies. A changing pattern leads to a forecast favoring near normal temperatures for central and southern Mainland Alaska. Below normal temperatures are favored for northern Mainland Alaska and Southeast Alaska, under negative 500-hPa height anomalies. Below normal temperatures are favored for the West Coast and parts of the western Great Basin, under an amplified trough. Probabilities for above normal temperatures are enhanced from the Rocky Mountains and Arizona eastward across the central CONUS to the Florida Panhandle, Appalachian Mountains, and northern New England, under positive 500-hPa height anomalies. Near-to-below normal temperatures are favored for remaining areas of the East, under a predicted trough through much of the period. Above normal temperatures are likely for Hawaii, consistent with dynamical model forecasts. Above normal precipitation is favored across most of Alaska in the 6-10 day period, while near normal precipitation is favored for Southeast Alaska and the adjacent southeastern Mainland coast, consistent with nearly all dynamical model precipitation tools. Probabilities are enhanced to greater than 50 percent for parts of western Mainland Alaska, ahead of strong westerly flow. Ahead of the amplified trough over the West Coast, probabilities for above normal precipitation are strongly enhanced, exceeding 50 percent from California and Oregon to the Central and Southern Rockies. Ahead of the trough over the West and with a predicted surface low to move from the Central Rockies to the Great Lakes region later in the period, above normal precipitation is favored across most of the CONUS, excluding parts of Texas, the Gulf Coast, and New England. Probabilities for above normal precipitation exceed 50 percent for parts of the Northern Plains and western Great Lakes region. Near to below normal precipitation is favored for Maine, consistent with most model tools. Below normal precipitation is favored for South Texas and South Florida in the 6-10 day period, consistent with the consolidation of GEFS and ECMWF calibrated precipitation. Above normal precipitation is likely for Hawaii, consistent with most precipitation tools. The official 6-10 day 500-hPa height blend consists of 35% of Today's 0z GFS Ensemble Mean centered on Day 8, 45% of Today's 0z European Ensemble Mean centered on Day 8, and 20% of Today's 0z Canadian Ensemble Mean centered on Day 8 FORECAST CONFIDENCE FOR THE 6-10 DAY PERIOD: Above average, 4 out of 5, due to agreement among ensemble means on the amplified 500-hPa height pattern, offset by a changing circulation pattern and some differences among tools. 8-14 DAY OUTLOOK FOR FEB 15 - 21 2026 Ensemble mean forecasts of the 0Z ECMWF, GEFS and Canadian models are in general agreement on the 8-14 day average mid-level circulation pattern, with some uncertainty related to the evolution of the pattern over time. All models predict an amplified ridge and positive 500-hPa height anomalies over the North Pacific, the Aleutians, and southwestern Mainland Alaska. Negative 500-hPa height anomalies are predicted over eastern Mainland Alaska and Southeast Alaska in the 8-14 day mean forecasts, with evolution in the pattern and rising mid-level heights in western Mainland Alaska. An amplified trough and negative 500-hPa height anomalies persist over the western CONUS and progress eastward into the north-central CONUS over the 8-14 day period. Positive 500-hPa height anomalies amplify over the eastern CONUS early in week 2, and progress over the East Coast before a shortwave trough and slightly negative 500-hPa height anomalies move into the Great Lakes region and Northeast later in week 2. Above normal temperatures continue to be likely for the Aleutian Islands, under an amplified positive 500-hPa height anomaly. Below normal temperatures are favored for Mainland and Southeast Alaska, consistent with dynamical model temperature tools. Enhanced probabilities of below normal temperatures expand over the West from Pacific coastal states to the Great Basin and Arizona, under the predicted amplified trough. Above normal temperatures are likely for the remainder of the CONUS to the east of the Rocky Mountains, with probabilities exceeding 60 percent over most of the Mississippi Valley and the Central and Southern Plains, consistent with dynamical model tools. Above normal temperatures remain likely for Hawaii, consistent with model temperature tools. Under a variable mid-level height pattern, above normal precipitation continues to be favored for the west coast and interior of Mainland Alaska, consistent with most precipitation tools and the consolidation, while near normal precipitation is favored for the south and northeast coasts of Mainland Alaska, the Aleutians, and Southeast Alaska. Above normal precipitation continues to be likely from the Pacific Coast into parts of the Great Basin and Southwest, under the predicted amplified trough. Probabilities for above normal precipitation are enhanced across most of the CONUS in week 2, excluding parts of the Southern Plains and the Gulf and Southeast Atlantic Coasts, as troughing and cyclonic mid-level flow progress eastward and consistent with the precipitation consolidation. Below normal precipitation is favored for most of southern Texas and the Gulf Coast region, under persistent positive 500-hPa height anomalies. Above normal precipitation is favored for Hawaii, consistent with dynamical model precipitation tools and the Auto precipitation forecast. The official 8-14 day 500-hPa height blend consists of: 35% of Today's 0z GFS Ensemble Mean centered on Day 11, 45% of Today's 0z European Ensemble Mean centered on Day 11, and 20% of Today's 0z Canadian Ensemble Mean centered on Day 11 FORECAST CONFIDENCE FOR THE 8-14 DAY PERIOD: About average, 3 out of 5, with good agreement on the 500-hPa height pattern forecast, offset by a variable pattern and some differences among the model tools. FORECASTER: D Collins Notes: The notation for the categorical forecast indicated on the maps is the same as that in the tables: A-above N-near normal B-below The temperature map shows regions with > 33% chance of being warmer (orange, "A"), colder (blue, "B"), or close to (gray, "N") normal. Labels on the shaded lines give the probability (> 33%) of the more likely category (B or A). Probability of N is always < 40%. The precipitation map shows regions with > 33% chance of being wetter (green, "A"), drier (tan, "B"), or close to (gray, "N") normal. Labels on the shaded lines give the probability (> 33%) of the more likely category (B or A). Probability of N is always < 40%. In the southwest and other climatologically dry regions - there will be a greater than 33.3% chance of no precipitation and occasionally even a normal (i.e. Median) value of zero - especially during the dry seasons. In such cases a forecast of near normal is effectively a forecast of little or no precipitation. The climate prediction center uses 1991-2020 base period means as reference in the climate outlooks. The next set of long-lead monthly and seasonal outlooks will be released on February 19. Analogs to the 5 day mean observed pattern centered 3 days ago (D-3) for the region from 20N to 70N latitude and 175E to 60W longitude include the 5 day periods centered on the following dates: 20150212 - 20050119 - 20160209 - 19950204 - 20050124 Analogs to the 7 day mean observed pattern centered 4 days ago (D-4) for the region from 20N to 70N latitude and 175E to 60W longitude include the 7 day periods centered on the following dates: 20160210 - 20050120 - 20150213 - 19910211 - 20030126 6-10 DAY OUTLOOK TABLE Outlook for Feb 13 - 17 2026 STATE TEMP PCPN STATE TEMP PCPN STATE TEMP PCPN WASHINGTON B A OREGON B A NRN CALIF B A SRN CALIF B A IDAHO N A NEVADA B A W MONTANA A A E MONTANA A A WYOMING A A UTAH N A ARIZONA N A COLORADO A A NEW MEXICO A A N DAKOTA A A S DAKOTA A A NEBRASKA A A KANSAS A A OKLAHOMA A A N TEXAS A A S TEXAS A N W TEXAS A A MINNESOTA A A IOWA A A MISSOURI A A ARKANSAS A A LOUISIANA A N WISCONSIN A A ILLINOIS A A MISSISSIPPI A A MICHIGAN A A INDIANA A A OHIO A A KENTUCKY A A TENNESSEE A A ALABAMA A A NEW YORK A A VERMONT A N NEW HAMP A N MAINE A B MASS A N CONN N N RHODE IS N N PENN N A NEW JERSEY N A W VIRGINIA N A MARYLAND N A DELAWARE N A VIRGINIA N A N CAROLINA N A S CAROLINA N A GEORGIA A A FL PNHDL A N FL PENIN N N AK N SLOPE B A AK ALEUTIAN A A AK WESTERN N A AK INT BSN N A AK S INT N A AK SO COAST N N AK PNHDL B N 8-14 DAY OUTLOOK TABLE Outlook for Feb 15 - 21 2026 STATE TEMP PCPN STATE TEMP PCPN STATE TEMP PCPN WASHINGTON B A OREGON B A NRN CALIF B A SRN CALIF B A IDAHO N A NEVADA B A W MONTANA N A E MONTANA A A WYOMING A A UTAH B A ARIZONA B A COLORADO A A NEW MEXICO A A N DAKOTA A A S DAKOTA A A NEBRASKA A A KANSAS A A OKLAHOMA A N N TEXAS A N S TEXAS A B W TEXAS A N MINNESOTA A A IOWA A A MISSOURI A A ARKANSAS A N LOUISIANA A B WISCONSIN A A ILLINOIS A A MISSISSIPPI A N MICHIGAN A A INDIANA A A OHIO A A KENTUCKY A A TENNESSEE A A ALABAMA A N NEW YORK A A VERMONT A A NEW HAMP A A MAINE A A MASS A A CONN A A RHODE IS A A PENN A A NEW JERSEY A A W VIRGINIA A A MARYLAND A A DELAWARE A A VIRGINIA A A N CAROLINA A A S CAROLINA A N GEORGIA A N FL PNHDL A B FL PENIN A B AK N SLOPE B A AK ALEUTIAN N N AK WESTERN B A AK INT BSN B A AK S INT B N AK SO COAST B N AK PNHDL B N LEGEND TEMPS WITH RESPECT TO NORMAL PCPN WITH RESPECT TO MEDIAN A - ABOVE N - NEAR NORMAL A - ABOVE N - NEAR MEDIAN B - BELOW B - BELOW THE FORECAST CLASSES REPRESENT AVERAGES FOR EACH STATE. NORMAL VALUES - WHICH MAY VARY WIDELY ACROSS SOME STATES - ARE AVAILABLE FROM YOUR LOCAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE. FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION SEE MESSAGE FXUS06 KWBC - ON AWIPS AS PMDMRD. $$