Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 255 AM EST Sat Jan 03 2015 Valid 12Z Sat Jan 03 2015 - 12Z Mon Jan 05 2015 ...There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of the Central Gulf Coast... ...Heavy rain possible from the Lower Mississippi Valley to parts of the Northern Appalachians... ...Snow from the Upper Great Lakes to parts of Northern New England and over the Northern/Central Rockies... Storm over the Lower Mississippi Valley will move northeastward to Eastern Canada by Sunday evening. Showers and thunderstorms will develop along the associated front over the Lower Mississippi Valley that will move eastward to the Southeast by Sunday. Light to moderate rain will develop over parts of the Middle Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley on Saturday. On Sunday, the rain will increase in intensity to moderate to heavy rain over parts of the Northern Mid-Atlantic/Southern New England that will move off the Northeast Coast by Sunday evening. In addition, snow will develop over parts of the Upper Great Lakes that will move into parts of the Northeast by Saturday evening. The snow will move out of Northern New England by Sunday evening. Light snow will also linger over parts of the Great Lakes on Sunday, too. Meanwhile, a front along the leading edge of cold air associated with high pressure over Western Canada will move southward over the Plains to the Gulf of Mexico by Sunday morning. The system will produce snow over the Northern High Plains/Rockies to parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley that will move southward to the Central Rockies/Plains by Saturday evening. The snow will wane over the Upper Mississippi Valley by Sunday morning. A wave of low pressure along the boundary will aid in producing light snow over the Northern High Plains Saturday evening into Sunday morning. Additionally, low pressure over the Eastern Pacific will move into British Columbia on Sunday. Strong onshore flow will accompany the system, on Sunday, spilling over into the Pacific Northwest producing moderate to heavy rain along parts of the Northwest Coast and snow over the Northern Intermountain Region. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php