Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 251 AM EST Fri Mar 8 2019 Valid 12Z Fri Mar 8 2019 - 12Z Sun Mar 10 2019 ...Strong low pressure system is expected to produce a variety of significant weather impacts over the upcoming weekend across the central and eastern part of the nation... The weather will be quite active across a large part of the nation for the end of the week and going into the weekend. The primary focus initially will be across the West as a couple of separate storm systems bring rather widespread rain and snow across portions of the Pacific Northwest, the Great basin and into the Rockies. Heavy accumulating snowfall is expected for the higher terrain including areas of the Cascades, the Sierra Nevada, and the central Rockies going through Friday where as much as an additional foot of snow may accumulate by Friday night. Surface cyclogenesis is expected to commence just east of the Rockies Friday night and early Saturday as the strong upper level shortwave approaches from the west. The surface low is forecast to intensify as it tracks towards the northeast from Kansas to Michigan through early Sunday. The atmospheric ingredients will be in place for a major winter storm from Nebraska to Wisconsin, and the potential exists for blizzard conditions across much of the eastern Dakotas and central Minnesota as the pressure gradient tightens and winds increase to over 35 mph. Widespread winter storm watches are currently in affect as of early Friday morning, and these will likely be upgraded to warnings as the event gets closer in time. Some of these areas could get 6 to 12 inches of snow with locally higher amounts. Farther south and east, heavy rain and severe thunderstorms will be making weather headlines as a warm and humid air mass surges northward from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the cold front, and some instances of flooding may be realized. The storms that develop will become capable of producing strong winds, large hail and also some tornadoes from the central Gulf Coast to Kentucky Friday night through Saturday. Near the cold front across the southern High Plains will be very dry air and gusty winds, which is expected to create elevated fire weather concerns as the surface low to the north intensifies. Elsewhere, the eastern U.S. will generally be cooler than normal through Saturday, and there will be a threat for some rain and snow on Friday across the Tennessee Valley, central Appalachians and Mid-Atlantic region. Temperatures should begin to warm up by Sunday ahead of the storm system approaching from the Midwest, but one exception will be the Northeast where high pressure arriving from southeast Canada will keep temperatures notably colder. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php