Hello everyone!

The weather system that’s dominated headlines for several days now will continue to influence our weather today. The storm itself has moved into Northern Canada, but its influence will continue to reach across much of the eastern two thirds of the US today.

The cold front associated with this storm will clear most of the East Coast, but as it hits the Gulf of Mexico, its forward progress will slow. As a result, look for showers to continue from the eastern Carolinas to the Florida Panhandle and back as far west as Western Texas, where rain will begin to mix with snow by this evening.

Farther north, WNW winds behind the front will bring cool and calm weather to much of the Midwest and Northeast. The exception will be downwind of the Great Lakes where cold air moving over the lakes’ warm water will result in lake effect snow bands. Lakes Erie and Ontario will feature the most intense bands, as winds with a stronger westerly component favor the lakes with a longer west-east fetch. Lighter snows will develop downwind of the other lakes, but accumulations should remain minimal. Accumulations could exceed a foot in the heaviest bands near Buffalo and Watertown in New York.

High pressure will be the dominant force across the West Coast as we’ve now completed the pattern change discussed over the weekend. For much of the West Coast, this will mean the start to a stretch of tranquil and lovely weather, but for Southern California, it means another day of critical fire weather. When cool, dense high pressure occupies the Great Basin NE of the Los Angeles area, that cold air begins pouring out through the passes of the coastal hills and mountains. The air then descends, rapidly warms, dries, and accelerates, resulting in dangerous fire weather. Fires already ongoing are likely to expand tomorrow, and any new fires that pop up will be able to quickly grow and develop.

Elsewhere across the nation today, generally quiet weather is expected.

For more information about your local forecast: https://weather.us/

For more information about the local forecast for ME/NH: https://forecasterjack.com/2017/12/06/improving-weather-today-4/

-Jack