Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 255 AM EST Sun Feb 15 2015 Valid 12Z Sun Feb 15 2015 - 12Z Tue Feb 17 2015 ***Highly amplified weather pattern across the United States*** ***Very cold weather continues east of the Rocky Mountains*** ***Winter storm developing across the south-central U.S.*** The overall weather pattern over the next couple of days will be featured with a pronounced upper level trough over the eastern half of the country, and a big upper level ridge for the western states. This will keep the West Coast and into the Intermountain West warmer and drier than normal, and the central and eastern parts of the U.S. much colder and unsettled. The warmest temperatures are expected over the Desert Southwest, where more 75+ degree weather is expected through Monday. The biggest weather concern over the next 24 hours will be a rapidly developing nor'easter near New England. This is expected to produce blizzard conditions for eastern New England on Sunday and into Sunday evening, with 6 to 12 inches of snow expected, with locally higher amounts. There will also be widespread windy conditions extending from there to the eastern Ohio Valley and most of the East Coast. Wind gusts could exceed 60 mph over New England before quieter weather settles in for the beginning of the week. This same storm is bringing in a truly arctic airmass behind it, with some of the coldest weather of the season from the Mid-Atlantic to New England on Sunday. High temperatures are expected to be 20 to 35 degrees below normal by February standards, with afternoon readings in the single digits and teens widespread, and 20s extending well into Virginia and North Carolina. Strong winds will combine with these frigid temperatures to produce brutal subzero wind chills, and numerous wind chill warnings and wind chill advisories are in effect. Sub-freezing high temperatures are also expected for Monday over these same areas. Across the south-central U.S., precipitation is forecast to develop across the southern Plains to the Deep South late Sunday and into Monday, as southerly low level winds begin to advect moisture from the Gulf of Mexico over the arctic airmass in place at the surface. This combination of warm and moist air aloft and subfreezing temperatures at the surface is expected to produce a wintry mix of sleet and freezing rain from Oklahoma eastward to northern Georgia. Farther to the north, accumulating snowfall is likely from eastern Kansas to the southern Appalachians. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php