Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 241 PM EST Fri Feb 05 2016 Valid 00Z Sat Feb 06 2016 - 00Z Mon Feb 08 2016 ...Heavy rain and mountain snow possible for the Pacific Northwest... ...Above average temperatures expected for the northern plains... ...Snow for the Upper Midwest, the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and along the Appalachians... A cold front will push through the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West spreading rain and mountain snow through the region. East of the Continental Divide, much of Montana and the Dakotas are forecast to have strong winds on Saturday. Numerous High Wind Watches are in effect across the High Plains. This system will produce locally heavy rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches, with snowfall amounts up to 15 inches in the Washington Cascades. Accumulations for the Northern Rockies will generally be less than 6 inches. This system will cross the Rockies and surge through the Great Plains, bringing with it a scattered mix of precipitation on Saturday. As cooler air moves in precipitation will transition to mostly snow for the Upper Midwest by Saturday night. The heaviest snowfall is expected for the Upper Great Lakes and southern Ontario. Elsewhere, accumulations of 1 to 6 inches will be common. Portions of the Lower Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and the Appalachians will also have light snow fall on Sunday as the cold front approaches. Amounts for these areas will be 1 to 4 inches. North-central portions of the CONUS will continue to have warmer than average temperatures for early February. Maximum temperatures for Saturday are forecast to be 10 to 20 degrees above climatology. The low pressure center and frontal boundary offshore the East Coast will continue to track north and east, paralleling the coast. A mix of rain and snow will persist over the Northeast this evening and into Saturday morning. Snowfall from this system will potentially make the commuting difficult for some areas, as roads may become snow covered and slippery. A wave of low pressure is forecast to develop along a stationary frontal boundary over the Bahamas on Saturday, which is then forecast to move northeastward into Sunday. Shower activity is expected for the coastal Southeast this weekend. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php