Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 307 AM EST Thu Jan 14 2016 Valid 12Z Thu Jan 14 2016 - 12Z Sat Jan 16 2016 ...Heavy lake effect snow across New York state will begin to taper off later today... ...Locally heavy rain possible for the coastal Pacific Northwest with snow inland... ...Heavy rain possible for portions of the Southeast Friday and Friday night... The heavy lake effect snow event in New York state downwind of lakes Erie and Ontario should begin to taper off today, with snow expected to gradually decrease in intensity through the morning hours and into the early afternoon. Visibilities may still be reduced to a quarter mile at times in some areas through morning or early afternoon, making travel difficult. A Pacific low pressure system will bring widespread precipitation to the northwestern states today and tonight. Rain will fall near the coast, with snow in the Cascades and Sierras as well as in the Intermountain region. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are expected for portions of the coastal Northwest, including northern California and western Oregon. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches are expected in the Oregon Cascades and the Sierras, with the highest elevations surpassing 1 foot of accumulation. This system will continue to move into the interior West on Friday, bringing snow to much of the region. The higher elevations are generally expected to receive 6 to 10 inches of snow. An area of low pressure along a frontal boundary will move across the northern plains today, bringing snow from portions of Montana eastward into the Dakotas, and reaching northern Minnesota by this evening. Snowfall amounts in this area are forecast to be relatively light, on the order of 1 to 5 inches. Somewhat heavier snows of 4 to 6 inches may fall along the shores of Lake Superior as the low pressure system moves south of the Lake Friday night into early Saturday morning. This system will spread a mix of rain and snow into the lower Great Lakes and the northeastern U.S. Friday night into Saturday as well. A surface low will develop in the northern Gulf of Mexico today, and will move to the western Florida Panhandle by Friday morning. Rain and thunderstorms associated with this system will spread across portions of the Gulf Coast today, and across portions of the southeastern states by Friday morning. The low pressure system will begin to quickly intensify on Friday as it skirts along the coast of the Carolinas before moving northeastward into the Atlantic Ocean. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible from generally along the coast from Georgia to North Carolina as this system passes by. Lastly, another Pacific frontal system will approach the West Coast Friday afternoon, spreading more rain and mountain snows into the region through Friday night and into Saturday. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php