Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 335 PM EST Sun Jan 18 2015 Valid 00Z Mon Jan 19 2015 - 00Z Wed Jan 21 2015 ...Wintry mess for New England through tonight... ...Spring-like temperatures of 10-25 degrees above average will drop closer to mid-January normals by mid-week... Across the Northeast, shallow cold air at the surface will allow for areas of freezing rain to continue across interior New England into this evening, but a changeover to a cold rain will occur overnight tonight for all of Massachusetts, New Hampshire and Maine. An area of low pressure will track north from the northern Mid-Atlantic region tonight which will allow relatively mild air to spread north into New England along with pockets of heavy rain. As the low deepens by morning, cold air wrapping around the back side of the storm will allow a changeover to heavy snow for northeastern New York and Vermont tonight, where maximum snow totals of 6-12 inches can be expected mid-Monday morning. Drier and breezy conditions with temperatures dropping back to average will follow into the early part of this week for the Northeast. Across the Plains, spring-like temperatures, low relative humidities and gusty winds are leading to an elevated fire risk from the Texas Panhandle into southwestern Missouri today. Winds and the fire risk will subside for Monday, but temperatures will again be well into the 60s and 70s for the southern Plains. High temperatures in the 50s and 60s are also expected throughout Kansas on Monday which is 20 to 25 degrees above mid-January averages. This anomalous warmth extending all through the Great Plains will fade into mid-week with the arrival of a cold front from the north, with only slightly above normal temperatures expected by Wednesday. Across the western portion of the country, a fast moving Pacific storm system will race eastward with diminishing mountain snow and lower elevation rain showers from the Pacific Northwest into the northern and central Rockies. A gradual improvement in conditions can be expected through Tuesday with clearing skies and seasonal temperatures. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php