Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 235 PM EST Mon Dec 23 2013 Valid 00Z Tue Dec 24 2013 - 00Z Thu Dec 26 2013 ...Snow for the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest... ...Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees below average from the Upper Mississippi Valley/Great Lakes to the Tennessee Valley/Middle Mississippi Valley... Upper-level energy over the Pacific Northwest will advance eastward to the Upper Mississippi Valley by Wednesday. The system will produce rain and highest elevation snow over parts of the Pacific Northwest, ending early Tuesday morning. Snow will develop over parts of the Northern Rockies, likewise, ending on Tuesday morning. An area of rain will develop over parts of the Northern High Plains on Monday evening changing over to snow by Tuesday afternoon. The snow will move into parts of the Central Rockies/Northern High Plains on Tuesday, moving to the Great Lakes/Upper Mississippi Valley by Wednesday morning, Christmas. Meanwhile, a very strong front along the Eastern Seaboard will move away from the coast by Tuesday. The storm will produce light to moderate rain over parts of the Mid-Atlantic Coast that will taper off by Tuesday morning. An area of rain/freezing rain will develop over parts of Eastern Maine ending overnight Monday. In addition, showers and thunderstorms will develop over the Southeast Coast ending on Tuesday. Behind the system, counter-clockwise flow aloft will aid in producing lake effect snow downwind from the Great Lakes through Tuesday evening. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php