Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 416 PM EST Mon Jan 05 2015 Valid 00Z Tue Jan 06 2015 - 00Z Thu Jan 08 2015 ...A band of snow will affect the Midwest/Ohio Valley into the Middle Atlantic states... ...A very cold airmass will affect much of the country east of the Rocky Mountains with widespread subzero cold and high winds... ...Arctic cold will be accompanied by significant lake effect snows downwind of all 5 Great Lakes... A clipper like weather system will continue to spread snow across the Midwest and Ohio Valley with snowfall of 4 to 8 inches and greater in a 100 mile wide band. While the system will weaken as it nears the East Coast...a couple inches are possible in parts of the Middle Atlantic states by Tuesday morning. Following this weather system...a massive Arctic high pressure system will move rapidly south and east across the middle of the nation by Wednesday...accompanied by bitterly cold temperatures and wind chills well below zero degrees. The core of the cold air will move across the Plains states toward the Midwest/Ohio Valley on Wednesday and to the East Coast by Thursday morning. The cold air outbreak will help keep the lake effect snow machine going throughout the forecast period as the cold air crosses the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes. While the East Coast turns colder...mild conditions will be found along the Western third of the nation following the heavy rain/snow that is falling across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Rockies. The threat for avalanches remains high across the Washington Cascades with warmer air moving in where heavy snow was followed by heavy rainfall. High winds are also occurring near the eastern slopes of the Rockies into the western plains and will continue into Tuesday morning. Kocin Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php