Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 252 AM EST Wed Feb 17 2016 Valid 12Z Wed Feb 17 2016 - 12Z Fri Feb 19 2016 ...Improving weather for the East Coast through the end of the week... ...Rain and mountain snow returning to the West Coast... A strong storm system that was over the eastern third of the nation will continue tracking northward into Canada on Wednesday. After all of the snow, ice, and rain over the eastern U.S. on Tuesday, expect much better conditions to settle in for the remainder of the week with a large ridge of high pressure governing the weather pattern. After a rather lengthy period of quiet weather and high pressure over much of the Intermountain West and California, a strong Pacific cold front and low pressure system is forecast to reach the West Coast by Wednesday afternoon and result in widespread lower elevation and mountain snow through Thursday. The Cascades and Sierra Nevada are expected to get the greatest snowfall totals, with amounts in excess of one foot likely. Precipitation is also expected from Nevada to Colorado as the front moves inland Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php