Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 218 AM EST Mon Dec 23 2013 Valid 12Z Mon Dec 23 2013 - 12Z Wed Dec 25 2013 ***Complex storm system exiting the East Coast on Monday*** ***Quiet weather pattern returning by the middle of the week*** ***Snow showers for the Northern Rockies*** A powerful multi-faceted storm system over the eastern half of the U.S. will slowly move offshore by Monday night. However, more rain and embedded thunderstorms are expected along a slow-moving cold front over the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast states. Farther north into New England, most of the bad weather has moved out of the region, but there will still be some lingering showers of snow, sleet, and freezing rain from Upstate New York to Maine. In the wake of the departing front, a strong Canadian surface high will slowly settle over the Eastern U.S. with much colder temperatures arriving just in time for Christmas. Scattered snow showers will be possible near the Great Lakes during this time, and a few snow showers will also be possible near the New England coast on Christmas Eve. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., dry conditions can be expected from the Desert Southwest to the Ohio Valley. Several rounds of mainly light to moderate precipitation can be expected from the Pacific Northwest to the Dakotas in association with a warm front. It will remain quite cold across the northern tier states. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php