Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 318 AM EST Tue Jan 19 2016 Valid 12Z Tue Jan 19 2016 - 12Z Thu Jan 21 2016 ...Temperatures will begin to moderate but remain well below-normal across much of the Midwest and eastern U.S.... ...Snow showers to gradually diminish downwind of the Great Lakes... ...Heavy coastal rains and mountain snows expected for the Pacific Northwest and northern California... ...Showers and thunderstorms from the southern Great Plains into the Southeast... ...Wintry mix from the central Great Plains to the lower Ohio and Tennessee valleys... Cold high pressure is expected to drift slowly to the east across the eastern U.S., producing another day of well-below normal temperatures across much of the Midwest and the eastern U.S. on Tuesday. Temperatures however are expected to begin to moderate by Wednesday ahead of a weak system moving across the central U.S. Lake effect snow showers are expected to continue downwind of the Great Lakes, but gradually diminish across most areas on Tuesday and Wednesday. The system moving across the central U.S. is expected to produce mainly light to moderate snows across the northern and central Great Plains and into the upper and mid Mississippi valley on Tuesday. These snows are expected to shift further to the east into the Great Lakes and Ohio valley Tuesday night into Wednesday morning. Meanwhile a wintry mix, with accumulating ice, is possible from the Ozarks into the lower Ohio and Tennessee valleys. Showers and thunderstorms are possible further to the south from southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas across the lower Mississippi valley. Light snows are possible across portions of the central Appalachians into the Mid-Atlantic as the system continues to shift east Wednesday evening. Widespread coastal and valley rains and mountains snows can be expected across much of the western U.S. on Tuesday as the next in a series of frontal systems moves onshore. Locally heavy amounts are possible, particularly along the western slopes of the coastal ranges of the Pacific Northwest and northern and central California, as well as the Cascades and Sierra. This system is expected to spill into the central and southern Great Plains and the lower Mississippi valley, spreading additional precipitation into those areas late Wednesday into early Thursday. Meanwhile, yet another system is forecast to approach the Northwest, with more precipitation falling across western Washington and Oregon and northern California late Wednesday into Thursday. Pereira Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php