Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 259 AM EST Sat Jan 31 2015 Valid 12Z Sat Jan 31 2015 - 12Z Mon Feb 2 2015 ***Unsettled weather for the southwestern U.S. on Saturday*** ***Developing storm system over central U.S. this weekend*** ***Widespread snow from the Ohio Valley to New England*** The broad upper level trough with embedded shortwaves over northern Mexico and the Desert Southwest continues to keep scattered showers in the forecast on Saturday from extreme eastern California to New Mexico. Snow showers are expected for the higher elevations of the Four Corners region. The weather here should improve by the end of the weekend as the upper level disturbance leaves the region. Moisture from the southwestern U.S. feature, along with southerly flow from the Gulf of Mexico, will combine with a developing surface low over the central Plains late on Saturday to produce widespread precipitation over the central U.S. Rain is expected from Kansas to the Deep South, and a band of light to moderate snow north of the surface low track. Once the system develops further and reaches the Mid-Atlantic region by Monday morning, widespread accumulating snow is forecast from the Ohio Valley to southern New England, where numerous winter storm watches are currently in effect at the time of this writing. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., expect dry conditions to continue for most of California through Monday. Rain and snow chances increase for the Pacific Northwest by Sunday as a weak cold front approaches the coast. Most of the northern U.S. will continue to have below-average temperatures for this weekend. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php