Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 PM EST Wed Jan 11 2017 Valid 00Z Thu Jan 12 2017 - 00Z Sat Jan 14 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... Nearly half of the U.S. will have widespread precipitation through the end week. Multiple Pacific storm systems will sweep through the West, spreading rain and mountain snow from the West Coast to the Rockies. Areal coverage will shift southward by late Thursday as one boundary weakens over the Intermountain West as high pressure builds in over the Northwest and another one moves inland over the southwest U.S. By Friday rain and snow will primarily span from California, the Great Basin and Four Corners regions. Heavy snow is expected for portions of the Sierras and Wasatchs on Thursday, shifting to the Central Rockies on Friday. Heavy rain may lead to flooding for some areas. 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. Maximum temperatures on Thursday are forecast to range 15 to 30 degrees above average across these areas. This will be short-lived once a strong cold front plunges south across the Plains and Great Lakes on Thursday, and into the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Thursday night. The warm, moist air will be forced to stream above the incoming cold, dense air mass. This setup will likely lead to widespread freezing rain from the Southern Rockies to the Ohio valley by Friday morning; reaching portion of the Mid-Atlantic region Friday afternoon. Southern Missouri could have some of the highest ice accumulations on Friday; then focusing over Oklahoma and southern Kansas on Saturday. Farther south, showers and thunderstorms are possible along and ahead of the front, from much of Texas to the Mid-Atlantic. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php