Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 359 AM EST Tue Feb 11 2014 Valid 12Z Tue Feb 11 2014 - 12Z Thu Feb 13 2014 ...A major winter storm will impact locations from Texas to the Southeast coast on Tuesday before it moves up the Eastern Seaboard on Wednesday... ...Heavy rains and mountain snows expected across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies... Widespread precipitation will continue to develop to the north of a frontal boundary stalled out in the northern Gulf and off the Southeast coast on Tuesday. A fresh supply of Arctic air in place will allow for snow within the northern fringe of the precipitation shield...and warm Gulf air overrunning the boundary should also cause a wide swath of freezing rain to the south of the snow axis. Conditions will really begin to deteriorate Tuesday night into Wednesday as a vigorous piece of energy ejecting out of the Plains helps spin up a surface low along the stalled frontal boundary. The deepening low will draw additional moisture out of the Gulf...which will fuel heavier precipitation across the Southeast and Carolinas...including significant ice and snow accumulations. Once the intensifying surface low moves off the Southeast coast and begins its track up the Eastern Seaboard Wednesday night...winter weather will start lifting northward into the northern Mid-Atlantic states. Please refer to the Winter Weather Desk's Heavy Snow Discussion (QPFHSD) for more details on this event. Active weather will continue across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies the next few days...where persistent onshore flow...weak impulses of energy aloft...and orographics will combine to produce widespread moderate to heavy precipitation over the northwestern corner of the Nation. Snow levels will be relatively high across the region...but heavy accumulations are still expected along the higher elevations of the Cascades and Rockies. Light snows will be possible with a cold front dropping through the north central U.S. Tuesday and Wednesday. Limited moisture should keep accumulations to a minimum. Gerhardt Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php