Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 202 AM EST Fri Feb 21 2014 Valid 12Z Fri Feb 21 2014 - 12Z Sun Feb 23 2014 ***Heavy Rain and thunderstorms for the Eastern U.S.*** ***Snow and wind for parts of the Upper Midwest on Friday*** ***Scattered snow showers for the Northwest corner of the U.S.*** A strong storm system over the Eastern U.S. will keep the weather active for another day for locations east of the Mississippi River. A deep supply of moisture flowing northward from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the cold front is resulting in widespread moderate to heavy rainfall, along with strong thunderstorms. Most locations across the East Coast states should experience a round of rain and embedded thunderstorms lasting for a few hours as the band of rainfall moves eastward. Severe storms are also a possibility from Virginia to the Southeast coast on Friday as the front moves eastward into a environment with greater instability and shear. Over the Upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes, closer to the main surface low, blizzard conditions are likely for eastern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan through Friday morning. Most of this snow and wind should move northward into Ontario by the evening, with windy conditions expected to continue into Saturday as the steep pressure gradient remains. Over northern New England, a mixture of rain, freezing rain, and some sleet is likely north of the warm front where warmer air aloft overrides a sub-freezing layer of air near the ground. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., there will be isolated to scattered snow showers from the Cascades to the Northern Rockies with some weak shortwave energy passing overhead. Quiet and pleasant weather conditions are expected to continue from the Desert Southwest to the Southern Plains. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php