Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 257 AM EST Fri Feb 24 2017 Valid 12Z Fri Feb 24 2017 - 12Z Sun Feb 26 2017 ...Strong storm system to affect the central and eastern U.S. through Saturday... Much of the nation east of the Mississippi River will continue to observe unseasonably warm temperatures through Friday. This is courtesy of an upper level ridge and a strong surge of warm moist air from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of an approaching cold front. Forecast highs ranging from 15 to 30 degrees above February averages will be possible from the Deep South to southern New England on Friday. Some locations could easily achieve record highs before the front exits the coast this weekend, with readings into the low to mid 80s for some areas across the southeast states. A strong winter storm will track from the Rockies to the Upper Midwest through Saturday. A surface low continues to gain strength as it moves across the Midwest today, and reaches Lake Huron by Saturday morning. A band of heavy snow is expected north of the surface low from northern Iowa to northern Michigan, where both blizzard and winter storm warnings are currently in effect. Some areas could get 8 to 12 inches of snow before the event ends by Friday night. In the warm sector of this storm system, showers and thunderstorms are expected Friday and Friday night from the Ohio Valley to the Mid-Atlantic region. Severe thunderstorms are likely on Friday across portions of the Ohio valley and southern Great Lakes, owing to favorable shear and instability. The Storm Prediction Center has additional details on that. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., expect light to moderate rain to return to the West Coast as a couple of disturbances pass through the region. Scattered snow showers are likely for the central and northern Rockies through Saturday with mainly light amounts expected. The Desert Southwest and the southern Plains should remain sunny to partly cloudy. Hamrick/Wix Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php