927 FXUS06 KWBC 261902 PMDMRD Prognostic Discussion for 6 to 10 and 8 to 14 day outlooks NWS Climate Prediction Center College Park, MD 300 PM EDT Sun April 26 2026 6-10 DAY OUTLOOK FOR MAY 02 - 06 2026 Today's numerical models depict a slow moving 500-hPa pattern punctuated by a strong anomalous blocking ridge over the Labrador Sea. This blocking ridge supports long-duration troughing over the northeastern CONUS. The main drivers in the western portion of the forecast domain are an anomalous trough over the Bering Sea and downstream ridging over eastern Alaska. A trough in the southern stream is forecast off the coast of California. Near to above normal mid-level heights are forecast across Hawaii. The predicted blocking pattern is expected to lock in an unseasonably cold weather regime for most of the eastern and south-central CONUS. Confidence is high (greater than 60 percent chance) of below normal temperatures along the Appalachians and adjacent areas of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, the Southeast, and the Mid-Atlantic. Negative mid-level height anomalies associated with this trough have weakened relative to yesterday, leading to slightly decreased confidence. Above normal temperatures are more likely across most of the West. Confidence is very high (greater than 70 percent chance) of above normal temperatures for parts of the Pacific Northwest, in close proximity to a ridge predicted just offshore. Near to above normal temperatures are favored for most of Alaska, ahead of a mean trough predicted over the Bering Sea. Above normal temperatures are likely across Hawaii, due primarily to observed above normal SSTs in the adjacent Pacific. The prolonged troughing over the eastern CONUS supports above normal precipitation along its periphery. Probabilities of above normal precipitation exceed 50 percent across most of Florida, where frontal boundaries and associated surface low pressure are most likely to develop. Above normal precipitation probabilities are slightly enhanced across most of Maine, due to predicted surface low pressure. Conversely, surface high pressure supports below normal precipitation across the Upper Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley, and much of the central and western Great Lakes. Drier than normal conditions are also favored for the northwestern CONUS, due to anomalous ridging forecast just offshore of the Pacific Northwest. Southern stream troughing off the coast of California supports increased above normal precipitation chances from California to the Great Basin and Central Rockies. Above normal precipitation is favored for most of Alaska, associated with anomalous troughing predicted over the Bering Sea. However, near to below normal precipitation is more likely across Southeast Alaska, due to predicted mid-level ridging across eastern parts of the state. Above normal precipitation is favored across Hawaii, consistent with yesterday's outlook. The official 6-10 day 500-hPa height blend consists of 20% of Today's 6z GFS Ensemble Mean centered on Day 8, 45% of Today's 0z European Ensemble Mean centered on Day 8, and 35% of Today's 0z Canadian Ensemble Mean centered on Day 8 FORECAST CONFIDENCE FOR THE 6-10 DAY PERIOD: Average, 3 out of 5, due to fair model agreement on a slow-moving blocking pattern. 8-14 DAY OUTLOOK FOR MAY 04 - 10 2026 During the week-2 period, the strong ridge near southern Greenland is predicted to retrograde toward the Davis Strait. During this ridge evolution, strong anomalous troughing is forecast to remain entrenched over the northeastern CONUS. The predicted upstream ridge is noticeably stronger today relative to yesterday across northwestern North America. The mean ridge axis is now forecast from the Pacific Northwest to Mainland Alaska. This ridge evolution results in higher mid-level heights across Alaska relative to yesterday's model solutions. However, anomalous troughing is forecast to remain over the Bering Sea. Meanwhile, farther to the south, cyclonic flow over the Pacific is forecast to impinge on the California coast. Near normal mid-level heights are forecast across Hawaii. A long duration unseasonably cold pattern is favored across the eastern CONUS. Confidence is high (greater than 50 percent chance) of below normal temperatures across the Ohio Valley, the Central Appalachians, the central and western Great Lakes, and much of the Mid-Atlantic, where teleconnections from the mean trough position yield a strong cold signal. Southern Florida is the only region east of the Mississippi where above normal temperatures are nominally favored. Above normal temperatures are more likely across the West due to strong ridging predicted over northwestern North America and a weaker southern stream ridge forecast over the Central and Southern Rockies. Confidence is high (greater than 50 percent chance) of above normal temperatures for much of the Pacific Northwest due to the proximity of the northern stream ridge. Near to above normal temperatures are favored for most of Alaska, associated with a strengthening ridge ahead of the predicted Bering Sea trough. Above normal temperatures remain likely across Hawaii. Uncertainty is higher than normal across much of the country regarding the precipitation pattern during week-2. An anomalous trough is forecast to move closer to the southern California coast. Predicted surface low pressure ahead of it supports increased chances of above normal precipitation across much of California and adjacent areas of the Great Basin and Southwest, Great Basin, and Central and Southern Rockies, despite the dry climatologies for some of these areas this time of year. Below normal precipitation is likely across the Pacific Northwest, as anomalous ridging persists across northwestern North America. Above normal precipitation is favored across much of the Northeast, Southeast, and Southern Plains, associated with broad cyclonic flow. Predicted surface high pressure is supportive of below normal precipitation across the upper half of the Mississippi Valley, the western Great Lakes, and adjacent areas of the Northern Plains. Above normal precipitation is favored for most of western Alaska, associated with persistent troughing over the Bering Sea. Above normal precipitation is favored for Hawaii, underneath predicted cyclonic mid-level flow and consistent with consolidated precipitation forecasts from the ECMWF and GEFS ensembles. The official 8-14 day 500-hPa height blend consists of: 20% of Today's 6z GFS Ensemble Mean centered on Day 11, 45% of Today's 0z European Ensemble Mean centered on Day 11, and 35% of Today's 0z Canadian Ensemble Mean centered on Day 11 FORECAST CONFIDENCE FOR THE 8-14 DAY PERIOD: Below Average, 2 out of 5, due to greater than normal uncertainty regarding the week-2 precipitation pattern. FORECASTER: Scott H 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 May 21. 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: 20160510 - 20210412 - 19950425 - 20120407 - 20190503 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: 19980503 - 20010405 - 20100413 - 20020429 - 20190503 6-10 DAY OUTLOOK TABLE Outlook for May 02 - 06 2026 STATE TEMP PCPN STATE TEMP PCPN STATE TEMP PCPN WASHINGTON A B OREGON A B NRN CALIF A A SRN CALIF N A IDAHO A N NEVADA A A W MONTANA A N E MONTANA N N WYOMING N N UTAH A A ARIZONA N N COLORADO N A NEW MEXICO N N N DAKOTA B N S DAKOTA N N NEBRASKA N N KANSAS B N OKLAHOMA B N N TEXAS B N S TEXAS B N W TEXAS B N MINNESOTA B N IOWA B B MISSOURI B B ARKANSAS B N LOUISIANA B N WISCONSIN B B ILLINOIS B B MISSISSIPPI B N MICHIGAN B B INDIANA B B OHIO B B KENTUCKY B B TENNESSEE B N ALABAMA B N NEW YORK B N VERMONT B N NEW HAMP B N MAINE N A MASS B N CONN B N RHODE IS B N PENN B N NEW JERSEY B N W VIRGINIA B N MARYLAND B N DELAWARE B N VIRGINIA B N N CAROLINA B N S CAROLINA B A GEORGIA B A FL PNHDL B A FL PENIN N A AK N SLOPE A A AK ALEUTIAN N A AK WESTERN A A AK INT BSN A A AK S INT N A AK SO COAST N A AK PNHDL A N 8-14 DAY OUTLOOK TABLE Outlook for May 04 - 10 2026 STATE TEMP PCPN STATE TEMP PCPN STATE TEMP PCPN WASHINGTON A B OREGON A B NRN CALIF A A SRN CALIF A A IDAHO A N NEVADA A A W MONTANA A N E MONTANA N N WYOMING N N UTAH A A ARIZONA A N COLORADO N A NEW MEXICO N A N DAKOTA B B S DAKOTA B B NEBRASKA B N KANSAS B N OKLAHOMA B N N TEXAS B A S TEXAS N A W TEXAS N A MINNESOTA B B IOWA B B MISSOURI B B ARKANSAS B N LOUISIANA B N WISCONSIN B B ILLINOIS B B MISSISSIPPI B N MICHIGAN B N INDIANA B B OHIO B N KENTUCKY B N TENNESSEE B N ALABAMA B N NEW YORK B A VERMONT B A NEW HAMP B A MAINE N A MASS B A CONN B A RHODE IS B A PENN B N NEW JERSEY B A W VIRGINIA B N MARYLAND B N DELAWARE B A VIRGINIA B N N CAROLINA B N S CAROLINA B N GEORGIA B A FL PNHDL B A FL PENIN N A AK N SLOPE A N AK ALEUTIAN N A AK WESTERN A A AK INT BSN A A AK S INT N A AK SO COAST N A AK PNHDL A 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. $$