Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 228 AM EST Wed Nov 25 2015 Valid 12Z Wed Nov 25 2015 - 12Z Fri Nov 27 2015 ***Active weather pattern for the West*** ***Strong cold front over the central U.S.*** ***Moderating temperatures for the eastern U.S.*** An active weather pattern continues across the western half of the U.S. An upper level low and surface low combined with an arctic cold front sinking southward from Canada will set the stage for wintry weather conditions from the Cascades to much of the Intermountain West. Snowfall accumulations in excess of 6 inches appear likely for many of the higher elevations, and winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are already in effect for those areas. Gusty winds can also be anticipated for the coastal areas. For the central U.S., a well-defined frontal boundary is expected to become established from the Texas Panhandle to the Great Lakes as the arctic boundary sinks southward. Moisture flowing northward ahead of the front from the Gulf of Mexico will allow for the development of showers and thunderstorms from Texas to the Ohio Valley by Wednesday evening and extending into Thanksgiving. On the cold side of the front, freezing rain and sleet is forecast to develop from northeastern New Mexico to eastern Kansas, and snow farther to the northwest from eastern Colorado to the Upper Midwest. The large Canadian surface high currently over the eastern third of the nation, with near record high barometer readings for the month of November, is expected to gradually move offshore by Thanksgiving. Temperatures continue to moderate and will even reach levels that are slightly above seasonal averages. This same high pressure area is also expected to result in windy conditions along the Southeast Coast and Florida as the pressure gradient becomes stronger. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php