Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 356 PM EDT Wed Mar 23 2016 Valid 00Z Thu Mar 24 2016 - 00Z Sat Mar 26 2016 ...Late season winter storm continues to bring heavy snow and freezing rain from the Central Plains to the Upper Great Lakes... ...Heavy rain and severe weather possible across the southern tier states... ...Another round of rain and higher elevation snow will impact much of the Northwest U.S. the rest of the week... The same system bringing significant snows to the front range of the Central Rockies today will continue moving northeastward across the Central Plains and into the Midwest on Thursday. Cold air on the north side of this system will allow for heavy snow from the Central Plains to the Upper Midwest, where as much as 6 to 12 inches of snow is forecast. Locally higher amounts are possible, especially across portions of the Upper Great Lakes. On the south side of the wintry precipitation shield, a band of freezing rain is expected to set up which could bring up to three quarters of an inch of ice to places from northeast Iowa to central/northern lower Michigan. Snow and freezing rain will also spread into the lower Great Lakes and New England, however the heavier accumulations should stay north of the border in Canada. The warm sector of this storm will feature heavy rain and thunderstorms across the Mississippi Valley, the Ohio Valley, and the Deep South through Thursday. A few of these storms could be strong to severe and the Storm Prediction Center has issued a slight risk of severe weather from northeast Texas to Missouri tonight, and across portions of the Tennessee Valley and Deep South on Thursday. By Friday, rain will move into the Eastern States, and while most of the activity should be more showery in nature, a few rumbles of thunder cannot be ruled out. Out west, a second system moving onshore tonight will bring another round of valley rain and higher elevation snows to portions of the Northwest states tonight and the Intermountain West by Thursday. As usual, the highest precipitation should remain confined to favorable upslope regions of the highest terrain. And in the East, seasonably warm temperatures will continue on Thursday, with afternoon readings as much as 5 to 15 degrees above normal. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php