Short Range Forecast Discussion...correction NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 618 AM EDT Mon Mar 24 2014 Valid 12Z Mon Mar 24 2014 - 12Z Wed Mar 26 2014 ...Spring put on hold for much of the central and eastern U.S.... ...More snows possible across parts of the Midwest to the Northeast and the Mid-Atlantic region... ...A powerful storm is expected to churn the waters off of the East Coast Tue evening... ...Precipitation returns to the Northwest and northern California... Below normal temperatures are expected to continue across much of the U.S. east of the Rockies as another arctic high slides southeast out of western Canada into the central U.S., fortifying the cold air already in place. The leading edge of the initial shot of cold air is expected to settle and stall across south Florida and the central Gulf of Mexico today, with scattered showers and thunderstorms persisting along and to the north of the stalled front. Storms are expected to become better organized by this evening across central Florida as a weak upper disturbance moves through the eastern Gulf. As this feature moves off of the Southeast coast early Tue it is expected to begin interacting with a more defined upper-level system moving into the Ohio valley. In addition to more cold air, this northern system is expected to deliver some light precipitation, mainly in the form of snow, forecast to advance eastward from the mid Mississippi valley today and into the Ohio valley this evening, before reaching across the mountains into the Mid-Atlantic region by early Tuesday. As this system interacts with the system off of the Southeast coast, a powerful low pressure system is expected to develop Tuesday night off of the Mid-Atlantic coast. How much precipitation this system spreads inland late in the period and in the hours that follow will depend greatly upon its track - the details of which are still unclear given the variability in model solutions. However, while the amount of precipitation is in question, cold and very windy conditions are certain along the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts by Wednesday morning. Across the West, a long-standing upper-level ridge will give way to an upper-level low nearing the coast and its associated surface frontal boundary, bringing much needed precipitation to parts of the region. Showers and a few thunderstorms are expected to reach the Washington, Oregon and far northern California coasts Tuesday morning before spreading further south and east as the day progresses. Pereira Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php