Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 238 AM EST Fri Jan 16 2015 Valid 12Z Fri Jan 16 2015 - 12Z Sun Jan 18 2015 ***Rain and mountain snow for the Pacific Northwest*** ***Developing storm system by Saturday night for eastern U.S.*** Most of the country should be precipitation-free over the next two days. The exceptions will be the Pacific Northwest, northern Rockies, and extending eastward to the Great Lakes. A Pacific cold front moving inland will bring steady rain from northern California to Washington state on Friday, and snow for the higher mountain locations. This moisture is expected to reach the northern Rockies this weekend in the form of snow showers, and some snow is also likely over the Dakotas and the northern Great Lakes by the end of the forecast period. This same trough is forecast to reach the eastern U.S. by Sunday, and a trailing cold front will also accompany the main surface low over southern Ontario and Quebec. Widespread rainy weather is expected to materialize for much of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast U.S. as Atlantic moisture gets drawn into this storm system. Most of the snow should be confined to interior parts of New England and upstate New York. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php