Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 255 PM EST Sun Feb 14 2016 Valid 00Z Mon Feb 15 2016 - 00Z Wed Feb 17 2016 ...Wintry weather developing over the southern Appalachians and parts of the Mid-Atlantic region... Snow will taper off across the Midwest and Ohio Valley by early evening, across the Tennessee Valley by Monday morning, the Appalachians by Monday afternoon and the across the Mid-Atlantic by late Monday night/Tuesday morning. The arctic airmass that has been entrenched over much of the Great Lakes, Northeast and northern Mid-Atlantic will warm back to near seasonal average over the next couple of days as the surface high pressure moves out of the region. The amplified flow over much of the West will result in mild and mainly dry weather west of the Rockies. Warm weather is forecast to continue for the Desert Southwest and California with little in the way of precipitation. A series of fronts will approach the Pacific Northwest over the next couple days, but will weaken as they reach the large scale ridge over the Intermountain West and Great Basin. Locally heavy rain is expected for the coastal areas of Washington and Oregon, where 3-day totals may reach reach up to 6.5 inches. Periods of heavier snowfall is expected for the Cascades with accumulations of 1 to 2 feet, the Bitteroots up to 1.5 feet, the Beartooths, Tetons and Big Horns with amounts near 1 foot. By Monday, a developing storm system over the Deep South is forecast to track northeastward over the Appalachians and bring a variety of precipitation types to the eastern U.S. Rain is expected over the Gulf Coast states and the southeast Coast, and snow is likely over far inland portions of the Mid-Atlantic region and the interior Northeast. Freezing rain and sleet is also likely just west of the Interstate 95 corridor and including western North Carolina through central Maryland, where winter storm watches are currently in effect. Excessive Rainfall Outlooks have been issued for the Appalachians and surrounding areas on Monday and for the Northeast on Tuesday. Many areas will have 1 to 2 inches of moisture as this system tracks through. Isolated locations may have 3-day totals that reach or exceed 3 inches. A vast area spanning from the southern Appalachians to the Northeast could see ice accumulations of 0.01 to 0.25 inch, with a few isolated areas closer to 0.50 inch of ice. Snow accumulations of 2 to 6 inches will also be common along this corridor. Locations along the Appalachians could see amounts of 6 to 10 inches. The Northeast will also have higher snowfall amounts as a clipper system approaches the Great Lakes region and a low pressure system makes its way up the Eastern Seaboard. 3-day accumulations of 6 to 12 inches from northwest Pennsylvania to Upstate New York and Northern Vermont. The highest snow totals will likely fall on the Canadian side of the International border. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php