Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 343 PM EST Tue Jan 19 2016 Valid 00Z Wed Jan 20 2016 - 00Z Fri Jan 22 2016 ...Wintry precipitation expected tonight and Wednesday for portions of the Mid-Mississippi, Ohio, and Tennessee valleys... ...Snow expected for much of the Rockies and Intermountain West... ...Additional wintry precipitation forecast to spread into Mid-Mississippi and Ohio valleys on Thursday... A low pressure system will move from the southern plains into the lower Mississippi valley tonight, bringing showers and a few thunderstorms to areas across the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi valley. Farther north, a mix of snow, sleet, and freezing rain are possible tonight and Wednesday across portions of the Mid-Mississippi valley, Tennessee valley, and Ohio valley. Snowfall amounts of 2 to 5 inches, with locally higher amounts, are possible in a band from southeastern Missouri eastward across portions of southern Kentucky and northern Tennessee. Along the southern edge of the snow area, freezing rain is forecast, with ice accumulations exceeding a tenth of an inch possible from northern Arkansas into much of Tennessee. By late Wednesday into Wednesday night, this system is forecast to weaken, and will produce very little precipitation east of the Appalachians. A Pacific cold front will move across the Northwest this evening and into the Intermountain region overnight, spreading snow across the region and into the Rockies by Wednesday morning. Rain will fall at the lowest elevations in the valleys. Snowfall amounts of 5 to 10 inches are expected for the Cascades and the higher elevations of the Intermountain West and the Rockies. Snow will begin to taper off for the Rockies late Wednesday as the frontal system begins to move into the plains. By late Wednesday, another Pacific frontal system will begin to spread rain and mountain snows into the Pacific Northwest, which will persist into Thursday. A low pressure system is forecast to develop in the lee of the Colorado Rockies Wednesday afternoon, and move across the southern plains Wednesday night. This system will bring light snow to portions of the central plains Wednesday night. During the day on Thursday, this system will begin to spread another round of snow, sleet, and freezing rain into the Mid-Mississippi valley and Ohio valley. Farther south, rain and thunderstorms are expected across the central/eastern Gulf Coast region. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php