Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 236 AM EDT Fri Mar 20 2015 Valid 12Z Fri Mar 20 2015 - 12Z Sun Mar 22 2015 ***Old Man Winter still hanging on across the Great Lakes and Northeast*** ***Stormy weather pattern across the Deep South and into Texas*** ***Rain and mountain snow expected for the Pacific Northwest*** The calendar now says late March along with the official arrival of spring, but Old Man Winter is determined to show who's boss for a little longer. That's right - snow is in the forecast for parts of the Mid-Atlantic region and extending into southern New England as a surface low develops along the Mid-Atlantic coast. Unlike recent snow events earlier in the winter season, temperatures will be marginal for snow this time around. With temperatures in the low to mid 30s, most of the accumulation is expected on grassy and forested surfaces. Current forecasts have this storm system moving well to the south of Cape Cod, thus keeping this from becoming a bona fide nor'easter. For the southern tier of the U.S., it will feel more like spring with showers and thunderstorms in the forecast for Friday and Saturday. A quasi-stationary front situated near the Gulf Coast, along with weak waves of low pressure along it, will allow moisture from both the Pacific Ocean and the Gulf of Mexico to be advected northward across the southern Plains and Deep South. Localized periods of heavy rainfall will be possible, along with some severe thunderstorms. Elsewhere across the nation, a cold front approaching the West Coast will bring back showers and high elevation snow for the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies. After the passage of a strong cold front on Friday, temperatures will be below normal across the northern Plains and Upper Midwest for the weekend. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php