Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1158 PM EST Wed Nov 25 2015 Valid 12Z Thu Nov 26 2015 - 12Z Sat Nov 28 2015 ***Widespread snow and ice from the Rockies to central Plains*** ***Heavy rain and storms from the Gulf Coast to Ohio valley*** ***Remaining pleasant for the East Coast states*** Wintry weather can be expected for parts of the Intermountain West and central Rockies for Thanksgiving as a large upper level trough and arctic cold front bring much colder temperatures. Snowfall accumulations in excess of 4 to 8 inches appear likely for many of the higher elevations, and winter storm warnings and winter weather advisories are already in effect for those areas. For the central U.S., a well-defined frontal boundary will continue sagging southward from Kansas and the Texas Panhandle and reaching the Mexico border by Friday evening. Moisture flowing northward ahead of the front from the Gulf of Mexico will allow for the development of numerous showers and thunderstorms from southern Texas to the Ohio Valley for the end of the week. On the cold side of the front, widespread 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