Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 257 PM EST Fri Mar 04 2016 Valid 00Z Sat Mar 05 2016 - 00Z Mon Mar 07 2016 ...Heavy rain over parts of the Pacific Northwest and California Coast... ...Heavy snow for the Sierras... ...Snow for parts of the Upper Great Lakes to parts of the Central Appalachians... The low pressure system that brought rain and snow to portions of the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast overnight and this morning has moved offshore into the Atlantic Ocean. A clipper system pushing through the Central Plains and Midwest today through is expected to reach the Tennessee Valley/Appalachians by Saturday evening and push through the Southeast and southern Mid-Atlantic region on Sunday. Snow and rain accompany this system. Winter Weather Advisories are in effect for northern Minnesota and Wisconsin through early Saturday morning. Snow accumulations for this area will be around 1 to 4 inches. Light accumulations will also be possible for northern portions of the Appalachians on Saturday. Precipitation will mostly be in the form of rain for central Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic states Saturday afternoon and evening. Multiple upper-level impulses will move into the West Coast along with a plume of moisture from the Pacific through the weekend. Rain will begin to move onshore over parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern/Central California this evening, moving inland to parts of the Northern Intermountain Region and Great Basin by Saturday morning. The rain will will persist at lower elevations along a majority of the West Coast. Accumulations of 3 to 9 inches will be common for coastal areas. Excessive rainfall is expected for northern California this weekend. The risk for flash floods will be elevated. Rapid runoff can lead to dangerous situations, especially when driving. Stay apprised of your surroundings. Rain will transition to snow over the higher elevations of the Sierras -- where snowfall intensity will increase, resulting in long durations of heavy snow. 3-day accumulations for the Sierras could be 3 to 4 feet. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for the Sierras. Strong wind will accompany these systems. High Wind Warnings are in effect for portions of northern California and south-central Oregon. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php