Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 246 AM EST Sun Feb 23 2014 Valid 12Z Sun Feb 23 2014 - 12Z Tue Feb 25 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*** A sprawling area of high pressure will slowly settle towards the south and east over the next few days. This high is of Arctic origin, and it will bring an unwelcomed return of bitterly cold weather for the Northern Plains and eastward towards the Great Lakes. For the beginning of the work week, expect highs only in the single digits and teens near the Canadian border, and 20s for much of the Midwest and Ohio Valley. It appears that this surge of very cold weather will have some staying power, with well-below normal temperatures expected to continue beyond this forecast period. Over the Central Gulf Coast, showers and storms are likely for Sunday and into early Monday as moisture flows northward towards a cold front that will be moving towards the southeast. This is the area of the country that will have the best potential for heavy rainfall over the next few days. Isolated showers and storms are also expected for the Florida Peninsula. Elsewhere, coastal showers and higher elevation snowfall are expected over the Pacific Northwest through Monday 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. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php