Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 PM EST Fri Feb 12 2016 Valid 00Z Sat Feb 13 2016 - 00Z Mon Feb 15 2016 ...Lake effect snowfall to continue downwind of the Great Lakes into early Saturday morning... ...The coldest air mass of the season expected to impact Eastern U.S. this weekend... ...Rain and snow expected to spread into the Northern Plains and the Upper Midwest by Saturday... A cold front sweeping through the Great Lakes and the Northeast will persist in producing moderate to locally heavy lake effect snowfall downwind of the lakes, with light to moderate snow elsewhere. As westerly and northwesterly flow crosses the lakes additional accumulations up to 1 foot may be possible in the favored lake effect areas. Winter Weather Warnings and Advisories are in effect for western Michigan. Lake Effect Snow Warnings are in effect for northern Michigan and western New York. The heaviest bands of snow are expected to taper by early Saturday morning near the lakes, however snow will spread to portions of the Northeast and the northern/central Appalachians. Snow amounts for New England will generally be light by the close of the weekend. Several Winter Weather Advisories and a handful of Winter Storm Warnings are in effect across the Mid-Atlantic and Appalachians. Precipitation along the southern/central Appalachians may be a mix of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow by Monday. Ice accumulations up to 0.10 inch will be possible. In addition to the widespread precipitation, arctic air will blast a vast portion of the eastern states, bringing some of the coldest temperatures of the season so far. Afternoon high temperatures as much as 20 to 30 degrees below normal are likely across portions of the Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and the Northeast this weekend. The cold temperatures combined with gusty winds will make it feel much colder. Wind Chill Advisories and Warnings span from the Upper Midwest to Maine and south into portions of the Ohio Valley and Appalachians. Simultaneously, a weak area of low pressure moving offshore of the Carolinas is causing light snow across portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas. The low is forecast to track way offshore, but parallel to the Eastern U.S. coastline and may clip coastal Maine with up to a foot of snow. Locally heavy rain and higher elevation snows are expected to continue across the Pacific Northwest and portions of the Intermountain West throughout the weekend. Rainfall totals for coastal Washington and Oregon could be 5+ inches by Monday. Snow accumulations of 1 to 2 feet will be possible for the Cascades, Sawtooths, Bitterroots, northern Rockies and Big Horns. As the upper level energy moves into the High Plains Saturday afternoon snow, and possibly freezing rain or ice, will spread into the Northern Plains, and eventually the Upper Midwest by Sunday. Relatively light accumulations of up to half a foot could be possible across the eastern Dakotas into portions of western Minnesota. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php