Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 459 PM EDT Wed Mar 26 2014 Valid 00Z Thu Mar 27 2014 - 00Z Sat Mar 29 2014 ...Widespread precipitation will continue across the Western U.S.... ...Spring snows expected for the Upper Great Lakes while severe thunderstorms will be possible over the Middle to Lower Mississippi Valley... ...Deep cyclone off the New England coast will lift into the Canadian Maritimes... Widespread shower activity will continue across a large portion of the Western U.S. Wednesday night into Thursday morning...beneath a broad trough carved out aloft. Precipitation should begin to ease up a bit on Thursday...but a Pacific system approaching the coast will slam another slug of moisture and round of moderate to heavy rains into the Pacific Northwest and Northern California coast by early Friday. Temperatures will be low enough to support widespread snowfall accumulations over the higher elevations of the West...with totals approaching or exceeding a foot along the Cascades...Sierra Nevada...and Northern to Central Rockies. A surface low gaining strength in the lee of the Colorado Rockies Wednesday night is expected to track across the Central Plains and then lift northeastward through the Midwest and Great Lakes Thursday into Friday. An abundance of moisture getting funneled northward out of the Gulf of Mexico should fuel strong to severe thunderstorms expected to breakout ahead of a trailing cold front sweeping through the Middle to Lower Mississippi Valley. Farther north...conditions will be cold enough to support Spring snows within precipitation developing to the north of a warm front lifting through the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes. High winds and heavy snows across coastal New England will begin to diminish Wednesday night as an anomalously deep coastal storm lifts into the Canadian Maritimes. Strong northwesterly flow behind the departing storm will make for a blustery day across the Northeast on Thursday...and precipitation approaching from the system crossing the Central U.S. could bring winter weather back into the region on Friday. Gerhardt Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php