Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 359 PM EST Wed Jan 13 2016 Valid 00Z Thu Jan 14 2016 - 00Z Sat Jan 16 2016 ...Heavy snow will continue today for portions of Maine and locations downwind of the Great Lakes... ...Mountain snow and valley rain expected for portions of the western U.S... Snow downwind of the Great Lakes and eastern Maine has slowly decreased in coverage and intensity this afternoon as the deepening low pressure center tracked further into the North Atlantic. Snow is expected to taper off Thursday as the low tracks toward Newfoundland/Labrador. Snowfall will be heavy at times. Areas prone to lake effect snow could receive 6 to 12 inches by the end of the storm, with isolated areas totals up to 15 inches for upstate New York and eastern Maine. Temperatures will moderate on Thursday with many locations warming to slightly above climatology for mid-January. Widespread rain and mountain snow is expected across the West coast and the Intermountain West over the next couple of days as a low pressure system treks through the region. Heavy snow is forecast for portions of the Cascades, Sierras, Bitterroots, Absarokas, Tetons, Wasatchs and Independence/Ruby mountains. Accumulations may exceeding a foot, possibly nearly 2 feet. The system will move into the central/northern Rockies on Thursday and emerging into the Plains by Thursday night/Friday. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will develop across the Southern and Central Plains. Areas north of the system (Northern Plains/Upper Midwest/Great Lakes) could have areas of snow, sleet, or freezing rain. Additionally, by late Thursday, an area of low pressure will develop in the northern Gulf of Mexico; which will lead to widespread showers and thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast and into the southeastern U.S. The Pacific Northwest will be impacted by another system approaching from the Gulf of Alaska Thursday night. Rain will spread across the lower elevations, snow in the mountains through Friday as the systems moves through quickly. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php