Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 354 AM EDT Tue Mar 22 2016 Valid 12Z Tue Mar 22 2016 - 12Z Thu Mar 24 2016 ...Rain and mountain snow to continue for the northwestern U.S. into Tuesday... ...Heavy snow possible spanning from the Central Rockies to the Upper Midwest, Great Lakes and New England region through Wednesday... ...Warming trend on the way for the eastern U.S... Coastal areas of the Pacific Northwest will continue to have rain over the next couple of days. Widespread snow is forecast to develop across much of the central and northern Rockies today as Pacific moisture streams over a nearly stationary boundary on the lee side. Snow will likely persist through Wednesday. The higher elevations of the Cascades and the Northern/Central Rockies could have 1 to 1.5 ft of snow by Friday morning. Lower elevations are forecast to have 2 to 8 inches. Numerous Winter Weather Advisories are in effect across the West and Intermountain West. This system will begin to move into the Great Plains by tonight/early Wednesday morning as a surface low quickly develops and deepens. Cold air will spill in to much of the northern tier of the U.S., as well as, the Central Plains/Midwest. Snow is forecast to begin Wednesday morning for areas east of the Wyoming/Colorado front range to the central High Plains. Snow intensity will increase rapidly, resulting in heavy snowfall. To the south, showers and thunderstorms will develop from the Southern Plains to the Lower and Middle Mississippi Valley by Wednesday as the low pressure system moves eastward. This storm system will likely have its strongest impact on the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes region, as this is where the axis of heaviest snow is projected. Accumulations of 6 to 10 inches is forecast from southern Minnesota to Upstate New York and northern Vermont/New Hampshire. Isolated areas could potentially exceed 1 ft. A Winter Storm Watch is in effect for eastern Wyoming, northeast Colorado and from southeast South Dakota to Michigan. Much of the Southeast and southern Mid-Atlantic have Frost Advisories and Freeze Warnings in effect for the unseasonably colder temperatures. The temperatures will gradually warm across the eastern U.S. over the next couple of days. Many locations will have afternoon temperatures reaching 5 to 15 degrees above average on Wednesday from the Southern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England. With the surge of Arctic air into the northern states, the colder than seasonal average temperatures will persist. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php