Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 357 PM EST Tue Jan 07 2014 Valid 00Z Wed Jan 08 2014 - 00Z Fri Jan 10 2014 ...A much anticipated warm up is expected over the eastern two thirds of the Nation... ...Wintry mix of precipitation possible over the Lower to Middle Mississippi Valley... ...Weather will become increasingly active over the Northwest and Rockies... After some of the coldest air in recent history spread down over much of the U.S....temperatures will begin to moderate across the eastern two thirds of the Nation as a deep vortex lifts back northward through eastern Canada. Also...strong and gusty winds should begin to diminish...allowing intense lake effect snows downwind of Lake Erie and Ontario to gradually relax over the next few days. Elsewhere east of the Continental Divide...strong surface high pressure expanding over the region will keep the majority of locations precipitation free. An exception to this will be over the South Central U.S....where return flow from the Gulf of Mexico...combined with weak energy streaking through aloft...will foster increased shower activity over East Texas on Wednesday. As the warm Gulf air lifts farther northward and overruns a frontal boundary in place...a wintry mix of precipitation will be possible across the Lower to Middle Mississippi Valley...especially over the Ozarks. A series of weak Pacific systems moving onshore will make for increasingly active weather over the Northwest and Rockies the next few days. Widespread shower activity is expected with the passage of each system. Gerhardt Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php