Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 257 PM EST Sat Jan 30 2016 Valid 00Z Sun Jan 31 2016 - 00Z Tue Feb 02 2016 ...Significant winter storm likely for the higher terrain of the Southwest on Sunday, moving into the Central Plains by Monday... ...Heavy rain capable of flash flooding possible for the Southern California coast on Sunday... ...Temperatures expected to be 10 to 20 degrees above normal east of the Continental Divide Sunday and Monday... A strong upper level system moving into California on Sunday, will bring heavy rainfall in excess of 1 to 2 inches to portions of the Southern California coast. WPC is highlighting a slight risk for flash flooding in this area for Sunday. As the upper level system moves onshore, an area of low pressure will spin up at the surface allowing for heavy snowfall to develop in the higher terrain of the Southwest and the Central Rockies by Sunday. Significant snowfall amounts are expected with as much as 2 to 3 feet possible for the highest elevations of Southern Utah and Western Colorado on Sunday and Monday. Heavy snowfall and gusty winds will spread into the Central Plains by Monday, with the potential for heavy rain and severe weather farther south across the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley by Monday afternoon ahead of a dry line setting up across Central Texas. Elsewhere, a surface low moving into the Central Plains this afternoon will spread light precipitation from the Central Plains/Midwest today, into the Upper Great Lakes and Ohio Valley tomorrow, and eventually the Appalachians and Eastern U.S. by Monday. Well to the north and west of the surface low, temperatures should be cold enough to support snow or a rain/snow mix across portions of the Intermountain west, Central Plains, and into the Midwest and the Upper Great Lakes. Closer to and ahead of the cold front however, precipitation is expected to be in the form of rain. Temperatures this forecast period are expected to be above average east of the Continental Divide with afternoon values as much as 10 to 20 degrees above normal Sunday across the Central Plains, spreading into the Eastern U.S. by Monday. The system moving into the Western U.S. however, will quickly drop temps to 10 to 20 degrees below normal across the Central Rockies and High Plains by Monday. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php