Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 405 AM EDT Thu Oct 26 2017 Valid 12Z Thu Oct 26 2017 - 12Z Sat Oct 28 2017 ...Strong winds and blowing snow for portions of the northern Great Plains and upper Midwest... ...Temperatures dropping below normal across the central U.S.... ...Dry conditions with above normal temperatures to continue across the western U.S.... Powerful winds will continue to develop and spread east across the northern Great Plains and upper Midwest as a strong area of low pressure moves east from North Dakota across northern Minnesota into northern Wisconsin on Thursday. Wind advisories or high wind warnings are in effect across much of the Dakotas, as well as portions of Montana, Wyoming, Minnesota, Nebraska and Iowa, where sustained winds as high as 35-45 mph, with gusts around 60 mph, are possible. A winter storm watch is currently in effect for portions of eastern North Dakota into northern Minnesota. Rain changing to snow will likely result in limited visibilities and possible blizzard conditions on Thursday. Significant snow accumulations are possible across Minnesota, with the potential for several inches near the Canadian border. This low pressure system is forecast to gradually weaken as it continues to drift east, moving from northern Wisconsin early Friday into northern Michigan by Saturday morning. Rain changing to snow may result in a few inches of accumulating snow across portions northern Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan. South of the low, a strong cold front will push east across the Mississippi valley while plunging south through the southern Great Plains. Shower and thunderstorms are forecast to develop along the front as it moves across the lower Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee valleys on Friday. Behind the front, cold high pressure will settle southeast from western Canada into the central U.S. Friday high temperatures are expected to be several degrees below normal across much of Great Plains, as well as the mid and upper Mississippi valley. Meanwhile in the Northeast, low pressure will track to the north, with rainy conditions continuing across much of New England on Thursday. Drier conditions can be expected by late Friday as the low lifts into eastern Canada. Across the Southeast, showers and thunderstorms may become more numerous across Florida as a broad area of low pressure over the western Caribbean becomes better organized and begins to drift north early Saturday. Refer to NHC outlooks for further information on this system. Across the western U.S., dry, warm conditions are expected to continue, with high temperatures remaining several degrees above normal across much of the U.S. west of the Rockies. Pereira Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php