Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 113 PM EST Mon Jan 13 2014 Valid 00Z Tue Jan 14 2014 - 00Z Thu Jan 16 2014 ...Santa Ana winds expected to blow across southern California into early Wednesday... ...Moderate to heavy rains expected across the Gulf Coast States and Carolinas... ...Clipper system will bring strong winds and trigger light snows while dropping through the north central U.S.... After a weekend of heavy mountain snows...soaking rains...and gusty winds...conditions will continue to improve over the northwestern corner of the Nation. An upper ridge building back in over the West Coast/eastern Pacific should lead to decreasing lower elevation rains/higher elevation snows with time, with the region expected to be precipitation free Tuesday afternoon. A strong surface high parked across the Great Basin is expected to direct strong, downsloped winds through southern California into early Wednesday with wind gusts of 60-70 mph expected, increasing the fire danger across the region. For related high wind/red flag warnings, see products from area National Weather Service forecast offices. Strong winds and a shot of cooler air are expected with a clipper system diving through the north-central U.S. early this week. The system will have limited moisture to work with...but a swath of snows will be possible near the surface low streaking down through the Dakotas on Monday and racing towards the Upper Great Lakes on Tuesday and the central Appalachians Tuesday night into early Wednesday. Upstream...a deep surface cyclone dropping down through Canada late in the period could bring another round of strong and gusty winds to the northern Plains by Wednesday morning. Widespread shower activity is expected ahead of a cold front edging through the eastern half of the Country Monday and Tuesday. The heaviest and most organized area of precipitation will be across the southern tier of the Nation...near a surface low steadily tracking eastward through the Gulf Coast states. Once the low begins to lift northeastward and intensify...it could clip the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts with heavier precipitation while tracking up the Eastern Seaboard on Tuesday. Precipitation is expected to be mostly in the form of rain with this system. Roth/Gerhardt Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php