Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 300 PM EST Thu Dec 26 2019 Valid 00Z Fri Dec 27 2019 - 00Z Sun Dec 29 2019 ...An energetic low pressure system is expected to bring flooding rains over southern California followed by heavy mountain snows across the Desert Southwest ... ...A significant winter storm is forecast for the central High Plains expanding into the northern Plains on Saturday... ...Much milder than normal temperatures expected for much of the central and southern Plains into the Ohio Valley... An energetic low pressure system will bring a variety of inclement weather from the Southwest up through the Plains for the next couple of days. Starting from the Southwest, the center of the low pressure system is currently approaching southern California. With an abundance of moisture and vigorous dynamics, the system is bringing heavy rain for the lower elevations and heavy snow over the higher elevations across southern California. The snow will spread steadily northeastward across the higher elevations of the Four-Corners region on Friday. By Saturday morning, much of the energy associated with the system will be exiting the southern Rockies into the Plains. As the system begins to interact with cold air arriving from the northern Plains, a significant winter storm is forecast to develop and impact areas from the central High Plains to the northern Plains on Saturday. As the storm intensifies more rapid on Saturday, potential exists for high winds to combine with heavy snow across the central High Plains into the northern Plains on Saturday. In addition to the snow, sleet and freezing rain can be expected to spread from the central Plains northeastward into the upper Midwest ahead of the storm center. Farther south, much milder than normal temperatures are expected for a large area of the central and southern U.S. into the Ohio Valley. These mild temperatures will be fuel for potentially strong thunderstorms to develop across the central to southern Plains on Saturday ahead of a strong cold front. Across the Great Lakes into the Northeast, a frontal system is expected to bring mixed precipitation from west to east through Friday morning. Meanwhile, scattered showers are expected across the Florida Peninsula due to a lingering front. Over the Pacific Northwest, unsettled weather is expected to spread further inland across northern Idaho and northwest Montana tonight and Friday before a break in the activity Friday night. However, the next batch of precipitation from the Pacific is forecast to reach the coast by Saturday morning. Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php