Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 315 PM EST Wed Jan 08 2014 Valid 00Z Thu Jan 09 2014 - 00Z Sat Jan 11 2014 ...A mix of wintry precipitation is possible across parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley and the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys... ...A steady soaking rain and higher elevation snows will spread across the Northwest corner of the nation... ...Snow showers will wind down across the Great Lakes, as light rain spreads up the East coast... Favorable flow off the Gulf of Mexico combined with weak energy streaming aloft, will continue to support mainly light rain showers across portions of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley this evening and on Thursday. As the warmer Gulf air overrides the colder air at the surface tonight, an area of freezing rain or snow could develop across the Lower Mississippi Valley and spread north and east to the Ohio/Tennessee Valley by the afternoon hours on Thursday. As strong upper level energy approaches from the West and a surface cyclone begins to spin up, the rain is forecast to redevelop across the Southern Plains and into the Lower/Middle Mississippi Valley by Friday morning. Across the Pacific Northwest, a series of upper level systems will keep the Northwestern Corner of the nation wet this entire forecast period. This afternoon, precipitation will continue to develop across the Pacific Northwest and spread into the Northern Rockies by this evening. For coastal regions of Washington and Oregon, the precipitation should remain in the form of rain, while for places inland, and across the Intermountain West, precipitation will fall as snow. Elsewhere, gusty winds across the Great Lakes will begin to subside this afternoon as the strong cyclone moves farther north into Canada. A few scattered lake effect snow showers could continue tonight and Thursday, but the heavier bands of snow should be just about over. Farther South, flow off the Atlantic will continue to support scattered showers and thunderstorms across Southern Florida. As winds shift from the Northeast to the East on Thursday, the precipitation will spread up the coast and into the Mid-Atlantic Region by Friday morning where colder temperatures could support some light, but non-accumulating, snowfall. Monarski Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php