Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 327 PM EST Thu Feb 27 2014 Valid 00Z Fri Feb 28 2014 - 00Z Sun Mar 02 2014 ...Stormy pattern will continue over California... ...Snow expected for the Intermountain West and the Rockies... Widespread precipitation has continued over the western half of the U.S. which is a much welcomed sight to many of the areas affected by the drought. The first system which has delivered much of the rain and snow to the West Coast/Intermountain West today will have a slight lull overnight Thursday as the first system winds down and treks inland. The big, show-stopping system will begin to show its teeth by Friday morning. This deepening cyclone will begin to push heavy rain onshore to California on Friday morning and will sweep across the Desert Southwest, the Intermountain West, and the central Rockies by Friday evening. Showers and thunderstorms will begin to ramp up on Friday afternoon in southern California and may bring the possibility of flash flooding. Higher elevations stretching from the Sierra Nevada range to the northern and central Rockies can expect heavy snows with totals amounting to over a foot! The upper level low associated with this system will meander towards southern California and will move inland later in the weekend. Meanwhile, the arctic surface boundary draped across the Rockies and towards the British Columbia coastline will stay put through Saturday which will provide a focus for continuous snowfall across the mountains. Thus, expect this stormy and snowy pattern to continue through the weekend. Looking further east into the Plains and Middle Mississippi Valley: the energy associated with the first system that impacted the West Coast will slide eastward and bring mixed precipitation by Friday morning. Colder, arctic air will begin to spill across the northern and central Plains and continue the perpetual bitterly cold temperatures that have been one of the main highlights of this winter. The arctic boundary, which is ushering in these cold temperatures, will sink further south and east into the Plains and Upper Midwest through Friday. On Friday morning, there could be a wintry mix across the Plains and Mississippi Valley as the colder air initially permeates into the Plains. By Friday evening and into Saturday, most of the mix will change over to snow and extend eastward towards the Upper Midwest and the Ohio Valley. Fanning Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php