Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 104 PM EST Wed Feb 22 2017 Valid 00Z Thu Feb 23 2017 - 00Z Sat Feb 25 2017 ...Locally heavy rain possible across portions of the Florida Peninsula through Thursday morning... ...Record warm temperatures possible for much of the central and eastern U.S. through Friday... ...Winter storm expected to bring heavy snow and gusty winds from portions of the central and northern Rockies to the Upper Midwest... An anomalous upper-level low is moving east across the northern Gulf of Mexico this afternoon, with the associated surface low pressure system bringing widespread rain and thunderstorms to much of Florida. The system will continue to move eastward through tonight, with widespread showers and thunderstorms expected to persist across eastern portions of the Florida Peninsula into Thursday morning. Locally heavy rain will be possible. Rain and thunderstorms will gradually wind down Thursday afternoon as the system moves east into the Atlantic Ocean. Otherwise, most of the central and eastern U.S. will see well above average temperatures persisting through Friday, as high pressure at the mid and upper-levels of the atmosphere dominates the weather pattern. Afternoon high temperatures on Thursday are forecast to be 15 to 30 degrees above average from the southern and central plains to the East Coast. These warm temperatures are expected to persist into Friday for areas from the lower and mid-Mississippi valley to the East Coast. Temperatures could soar well into the 70s for many areas, with the potential for numerous locations to reach or surpass record highs. In stark contract to the record warmth, a winter storm is expected to take shape from portions of the Rockies to the northern plains and Upper Midwest. A vigorous upper-level disturbance and associated surface frontal system moving eastward across the Great Basin this afternoon will snow to much of the central and northern Rockies tonight. By early Thursday morning, a new area of surface low pressure is expected to begin developing just east of the Colorado Rockies. As this occurs, the potential for heavy snow will begin to occur from the central and northern Rockies east into the High Plains. This area of low pressure is expected to deepen during the day on Thursday as it moves into the central plains, and into the Midwest on Friday. The system is expected to bring potentially heavy snow and gusty winds to a large area from the central and northern Rockies to portions of the Upper Midwest and Upper Great Lakes. South of the snow area, rain and thunderstorms are expected Thursday and Friday from portions of the mid and upper-Mississippi valley to the southern Great Lakes and Ohio valley. Some storms could be severe on Friday across portions of the Ohio valley and southern Great Lakes. Please refer to products issued by the Storm Prediction Center for further details on the severe weather threat. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php