Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 402 PM EDT Fri Apr 08 2016 Valid 00Z Sat Apr 09 2016 - 00Z Mon Apr 11 2016 ...Heavy rain and snow for the Sierras... ...Snow for parts of the Great Lakes into Central Appalachians... ...Temperatures will be 10 to 25 degrees below average from parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Lower Mississippi Valley eastward to the coast... An upper-level low off the Southern California Coast will move inland and weaken over the Southwest/Northwestern Mexico by Sunday evening. Moisture from the Pacific will move over parts of California and to a lesser extent the Southwest. In addition, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will stream northwestward into the Southern Rockies/Southern High Plains through Saturday afternoon. Rain with embedded thunderstorms will develop over parts of California eastward to the Southern High Plains on Friday evening with the showers and thunderstorms ending over parts of the Southern High Plains/Southern Rockies by Saturday afternoon. The rain with embedded thunderstorms will continue over California and the Southwest that will expand into parts of the Great Basin/Central Rockies Saturday evening into Sunday. Meanwhile, a front over the Pacific Northwest will move inland to the Upper Mississippi Valley/Central Plains that will trail westward to parts of the Northern Intermountain Region by Sunday evening. As the boundary moves out of the Rockies on Saturday afternoon, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will stream northward over the Southern/Central Plains moving into the Upper Great Lakes to the Mississippi Valley by Sunday morning. Showers and thunderstorms will develop over the Southern Plains on Saturday evening moving into parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley by Sunday morning. Snow will develop over parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley/Upper Great Lakes that will expand into the Great Lakes by Sunday morning. On Early Sunday morning, rain will develop over parts of the Western Ohio Valley. Additionally, low pressure and an associated front over the Ohio Valley on will move quickly off the Mid-Atlantic Coast by Saturday evening. The system will produce light snow over parts o The highly amplified upper level pattern over the continental U.S. is forecast to continue going into this weekend, with an upper level ridge over the Intermountain West and a deep trough over the eastern U.S. This trough will allow the jet stream to take a southern dip and multiple cold frontal passages are expected. With cold air aloft and shortwave disturbances passing overhead, expect numerous rain and snow showers from the Great Lakes to the Ohio Valley and the Northeast U.S. through Saturday, with temperatures running 10 to 20 degrees below early April averages. Accumulating snow is likely for the central and northern Appalachians, where several inches will be possible. Across the western U.S., an upper level low situated near the California coastline will keep the atmosphere unsettled with numerous showers and perhaps a few thunderstorms over parts of California, Nevada, Arizona, and New Mexico over the next couple of days. The heaviest precipitation is expected over the Sierra Nevada mountains, where snow is likely at the highest elevations. Much of this rain and mountain snow will be welcomed drought relief, especially as we are nearing the end of the rainy season. Farther to the north, dry conditions are expected to continue into this weekend for the Pacific Northwest. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php