Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 333 AM EST Sun Jan 12 2014 Valid 12Z Sun Jan 12 2014 - 12Z Tue Jan 14 2014 ...High winds...soaking rains...and heavy mountain snows will continue over the Northwest on Sunday... ...A wintry mix of precipitation possible across the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes... ...Heavy rains...with embedded thunderstorms...expected along the Gulf Coast states... The powerful Pacific system that moved onshore Saturday has already cleared the Northwest...but strong winds and persistent onshore flow behind the storm will allow unsettled weather to continue into Sunday. Another round of soaking rains is in store for the Washington and Oregon coasts...while additional heavy mountain snows are expected across the Cascades and northern Rockies. On Monday...conditions should begin to improve over the northwestern corner of the Nation as the strong winds relax and an upper ridge builds back in over the West Coast. The same cold front that dropped through the Northwest on Saturday will continue to work its way south and east through the Country the next few days. The northern portion of the front will be a bit moisture starved while crossing the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes Sunday and Monday...but what little precipitation does fall could fall as a wintry mix. Farther south...the front will begin interacting with increasing amounts of Gulf moisture once it drops through the Southern Plains and starts pushing eastward through the southern tier. An area of moderate to heavy rains...with embedded thunderstorms...should get organized along the western/central Gulf coast early Monday and then spread north and east ahead of the front as it marches towards the Appalachians Monday into Tuesday. This system will be predominantly a rain event during the short range period...but a mix of rain and snow can not be ruled out across interior New England and down into the Adirondacks and Catskills. Gerhardt Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php