Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
346 PM EST Thu Mar 06 2014

Valid 00Z Fri Mar 07 2014 - 00Z Sun Mar 09 2014

...Coastal storm to impact the southern and central Mid-Atlantic region
tonight into early Friday...

...After a temporary break from cold weather across the north-central
U.S., temperatures will fall back down below average...

A strong storm system currently impacting Florida with localized severe
weather and heavy rain will impact the southern and central Mid-Atlantic
states overnight into Friday. The storm system will meet anomalously cold
air in place over the Mid-Atlantic states while the associated surface low
tracks across northern Florida this evening and offshore of the Southeast
coastline early on Friday. Gradually the low will move into the Atlantic
with minimal to zero impacts expected north of a D.C. to Long Island to
Cape Cod line. Heavy rain and gusty winds are expected from southeastern
Virginia into much the Carolinas. Due to the cold air initially present in
the Mid-Atlantic region, a wintry mix including freezing rain and light
snow accumulations is possible into parts of the Southern Piedmont through
early Friday morning for the elevated terrain. By Saturday however,
temperatures will return to levels much closer to average as high pressure
arrives in advance of a cold front approaching from the northwest.

The aforementioned cold front will bring a shot of cold air, 10 to 30
degrees below average, to the north-central U.S. tomorrow, with these
colder temperatures reaching from the Great Lakes to the Southern Plains
for Saturday. There will not be a great deal of moisture for the system to
work with, so precipitation along the front should be light. However, a
light wintry mix is expected from Minnesota and Wisconsin down to Kansas
and the Oklahoma Panhandle, with only minor snow/ice accumulations if any.

The Pacific Northwest will see a reprieve from recent wet/snowy weather as
an upper level ridge builds over the region on Friday. High pressure will
bring mostly clear skies and temperatures above early March normals into
Saturday. Throughout the day on Saturday though, a storm system will begin
to approach from the west which will begin to bring wet weather from north
to south across Washington and Oregon.

Otto


Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php