California continues to take the brunt of the impactful weather today over the Lower 48 and is expected to continue experiencing waves of heavy precipitation and strong winds into the first full weekend of 2023.
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Moderate rainfall and high elevation snow is anticipated to diminish across the Golden State tonight as the current atmospheric river comes to an end.
Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect across the Sierra Nevada and Flood Watches remain over both central and coastal regions of California into early Friday.
As the overall wet pattern remains locked in place over the West Coast, the next surge of moisture to move inland is forecast to enter northern California and southwest Oregon late Friday.
Rainfall could become hazardous and lead to scattered instances of flash flooding over the coastal ranges of northern California.
The consistent stream of moisture being funneled out of the tropical Pacific will continue into Saturday and gradually expand into more central portions of the state.
Additional rainfall amounts of 3 to 6 inches, with locally higher totals are possible and could exacerbate flooding concerns throughout what has become a very saturated region.
Additionally, the high elevations of the Sierra Nevada and northern California will experience more rounds of heavy snow as moisture reaches eastward, with the heavier snowfall rates forecast to remain over the northern California mountains on Saturday and eventually spread southward by Sunday.
The remaining moisture that is able to progress eastward into the Intermountain West tonight will likely lead to heavy mountain snow into the Utah high elevations.
Snow totals up to 18 inches are possible and will make travel treacherous at times.
Snow is forecast to linger through early Friday before spreading into the central Rockies.
Farther east, an upper-level low over the Great Lakes continues to produce light snow showers over the Great Lakes while a cold front extends off the East Coast and a developing weak wave of low pressure pushes from the Mid-Atlantic to southern New England early Friday.
This wave of low pressure may lead to an enhancement of precipitation that falls in the form of snow throughout New England for the Friday morning commute.
Roads could become slippery, especially where heavier snowfall rates occur.
Elsewhere, a wave of low pressure pushing into the mid-Mississippi Valley early Saturday (along with an attached cold front) will likely spawn an area of showers and thunderstorms extending southward into eastern Texas.
Light snow, sleet, and freezing rain are possible over Ohio Valley to the north of a lifting warm front, but limited impacts are currently expected. ■
A clipper system will move quickly across the northern Plains into the Midwest Friday and the Northeast by Saturday, bringing a wintry mix of rain and snow showers ahead of a sweeping cold front.