Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 259 PM EST Tue Feb 07 2017 Valid 00Z Wed Feb 08 2017 - 00Z Fri Feb 10 2017 ...There is a slight risk of severe thunderstorms over the Central/Eastern Gulf Coast... ...Heavy rain possible over parts of the Pacific Northwest and Northern California... ...Heavy snow possible over the Northern Cascades... ...Heavy snow possible over the Northern Mid-Atlantic and Southern New England... A storm over the Great Lakes will move northeastward to Northeastern Canada by Thursday. The system will produce showers and thunderstorms from parts of the Ohio Valley to the Central/Eastern Gulf Coast that will move off the Southeast Coast by Wednesday afternoon. Another low pressure system tracking across the mid Mississippi River Valley will continue to gain strength today as it combines with a cold Canadian airmass sliding southeast, merging across the northern Ohio Valley region by this afternoon. Warm Gulf air transporting northward ahead of an advancing strong cold front will help set the stage for strong to severe thunderstorm development. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined much of the deep south, and Tennessee and Ohio Valleys in a slight risk today, with strong storms now ongoing across these regions. Rain, possibly heavy at times, is forecast for much of the South, Southeast, Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and Mid-Atlantic over the next few days. Further to the north, precipitation will likely fall as a wintry mix or all snow from the Upper Midwest to the Northeast. Winter Weather Advisories are in effect from Upper Minnesota to Upper Michigan, and from Pennsylvania to Maine. Additionally, a warming trend is expected for much of the eastern half of the U.S. ahead of the approaching cold front. A few records may be matched or exceeded for both daily high temperatures as well as daily high minimum temperatures from the Southern Plains to Great Lakes and Mid Atlantic today, and across much of the eastern Seaboard on Wednesday. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php