Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 309 PM EST Tue Dec 30 2014 Valid 00Z Wed Dec 31 2014 - 00Z Fri Jan 02 2015 ...Wintry precipitation will move into the Southwest and the southern High Plains... ...Temperatures expected to be well below normal across the Central U.S.... A closed off upper-level system will continue to push south and eastward across the Great Basin and into the Southwest by Wednesday afternoon. Abnormally cold air locked in place across the entire region will support developing snow showers this evening from the higher terrain of southern California to the southern Rockies. By Wednesday into Thursday, as the upper system moves through, the snow will increase in intensity with potentially significant totals expected especially across the higher terrain of southern Utah and central/northern Arizona. Farther east into the southern Plains, an area of sleet and freezing rain in western Texas, with rain farther south and east, is expected to develop throughout the next several days. Winter Storm watches, warnings, and advisories are in effect from southern California to the southern High Plains. For more information regarding the wintry precipitation, please refer to the WPC winter weather graphics. Meanwhile, high pressure dominating from the Northwest to the Eastern US will continue to keep temperatures below normal into the New Year. This will especially be true for portions of the central and southern Plains states where readings could be 20 to 30 degrees, or even 40 in some spots, below average on Wednesday. Elsewhere, a lingering front across southern Florida will induce scattered rain showers across the central and southern portions of the state, while favorable flow across the Great Lakes should support some light lake effect snow showers downwind of the lakes over the next several days. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php