Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 240 AM EST Wed Jan 11 2017 Valid 12Z Wed Jan 11 2017 - 12Z Fri Jan 13 2017 ...Period of heavy rain and snow expected to continue across the West before drier conditions arrive by Friday... ...Temperatures are expected to be well above average across much of the central and eastern U.S. through Thursday... ...Freezing rain possible from portions of the southern plains to the mid-Mississippi valley by Thursday night... A series of Pacific storm systems will continue to impact the western U.S. with heavy rain and snow through the next couple days. One frontal system will move across the Great Basin toward the Rockies today, bringing widespread snow to much of the interior western U.S. Snow will persist across the central Rockies into Thursday as the front weakens overhead. A second Pacific low pressure system will affect California by late Wednesday, spreading another round of rain and mountain snow onshore. This second system will bring another round of snow to much of the Great Basin on Thursday, with scattered rain showers farther south over portions of the Southwest. The potential for heavy rain and snow across the West will persist as these two systems traverse the region. By Thursday night into Friday, the chain of Pacific storm systems will finally come to an end, and much of the West Coast will have a chance to dry out. The second system will linger across the southwest, however, keeping scattered rain and snow showers a possibility into Friday. High pressure at the mid and upper-levels will expand across the southeastern quadrant of the Nation through Friday, which will bring a period of unseasonably warm temperatures to areas from the southern plains to the Great Lakes and Northeast. High temperatures today and Thursday will be 15 to 30 degrees above average across these areas. The period of warm weather will be ended by a strong cold front which will move south across the central plains and Great Lakes on Thursday, and into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Thursday night. As colder air associated with the cold front moves into the southern plains by Thursday night and Friday morning, moisture overrunning the front is forecast to support the development of freezing rain. Freezing rain is possible by Friday morning from portions of the southern plains to the mid-Mississippi valley. Farther south, showers and thunderstorms are possible along and ahead of the front, from much of Texas to the Mid-Atlantic. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php