Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 345 AM EST Wed Jan 08 2014 Valid 12Z Wed Jan 08 2014 - 12Z Fri Jan 10 2014 ...Heavy precipitation for the Cascades... ...Rain/freezing rain possible over parts of the Lower to Middle Mississippi Valley... ...Temperatures will be 15 to 25 degrees below average from parts of the Upper Midwest... Lake effect snow will wind down on Wednesday as the upper-level flow over the Great Lakes becomes more clockwise. Meanwhile, upper-level energy over the Pacific Northwest will move southeastward to the Ohio Valley by Thursday evening. Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will flow northward over Southern Texas into parts of the Ohio Valley by Thursday. The moisture will overrun the cold air at the surface that will produce rain over the Western Gulf Coast into parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley by Thursday. Furthermore, an upper-level jet streak will aid in expanding the area of rain westward into Western Texas/New Mexico by Thursday evening. An area of rain/freezing rain will also develop over parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley/Eastern Oklahoma through Thursday morning. In addition, an area of snow will develop over parts of the Middle Mississippi Valley and move into the Great Lakes/Northern Ohio Valley by Thursday evening. Easterly flow off the Atlantic will trigger light rain over the Southern Tip of Florida that will have embedded thunderstorms Wednesday evening into Thursday. Some rain will move into South Carolina by Thursday evening. In the meantime, upper-level energy and onshore flow will aid in producing coastal rain and higher elevation snow over the Pacific Northwest through Thursday. As the upper-level energy moves inland, snow will develop over parts of the Northern/Central Rockies also through Thursday. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php