Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 325 AM EST Sat Feb 22 2014 Valid 12Z Sat Feb 22 2014 - 12Z Mon Feb 24 2014 ***Arctic airmass settling southward into the northern U.S.*** ***Showers and thunderstorms for the Central Gulf Coast*** ***Scattered snow showers for the Northern Rockies*** Strong high pressure nosing down from western Canada will bring a fresh supply of Arctic air into the north central U.S., and the bitterly cold temperatures will begin to spread south and east through the Midwest states beginning this weekend. Overall, limited moisture should keep any precipitation on the light side with this cold front. The best snowfall potential should be for the upslope side of the Northern/Central Rockies and adjacent High Plains. Another area of precipitation is likely for the Central Gulf Coast region where a more concentrated area of showers and storms should develop Saturday night and into Sunday with moisture returning from the Gulf of Mexico. Elsewhere, coastal showers and higher elevation snowfall are expected over the Pacific Northwest this weekend where a weak system will be dropping down from the British Columbia coast. Pleasant conditions are expected from the Desert Southwest to the Southern Plains with mostly sunny skies expected. It will still remain warm over the Florida Peninsula while the rest of the southern U.S. begins cooling down behind the cold front. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php