Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 319 AM EST Mon Feb 16 2015 Valid 12Z Mon Feb 16 2015 - 12Z Wed Feb 18 2015 ***Highly amplified weather pattern across the United States*** ***Very cold weather continues east of the Rocky Mountains*** ***Winter storm from Central Plains to Mid-Atlantic*** ***Remaining dry for the West Coast*** 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 than normal. The drought continues for California and much of the Intermountain West, and no appreciable rain is in the forecast over the next couple of days. A major winter storm is now affecting a large part of the south-central U.S. as a surface low tracks across the Deep South states. A wide swath of moderate to heavy snow is expected from eastern Kansas and extending all the way to the Mid-Atlantic coast. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches are likely for many of these areas. Farther to the south from Oklahoma to the Carolinas, a warm layer aloft over sub-freezing temperatures near the surface is expected to result in widespread sleet and freezing rain, creating hazardous driving conditions. Showers and thunderstorms are expected from eastern Texas to the South Carolina coast where much warmer temperatures are expected in the warm sector of this storm system. In addition to the widespread precipitation expected, the unusually cold weather is forecast to continue through much of the upcoming week for the eastern U.S., with temperature anomalies on the order of 20 to 30 degrees below average by mid-February standards. This will especially be the case after yet another arctic cold front moves through after the winter storm departs the East Coast. Numerous record low temperatures are expected! D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php