Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 300 PM EST Fri Dec 08 2017 Valid 00Z Sat Dec 09 2017 - 00Z Mon Dec 11 2017 ...Accumulating snowfall likely from the interior Southeast to the Mid-Atlantic states and the Northeast... ...Locally heavy lake effect snowfall to continue downwind of the Great Lakes... ...Critical to extreme fire weather conditions expected to persist across portions of southern California... A frontal boundary stretching from the western Atlantic, across central Florida and the northern Gulf of Mexico was resulting in a large swath of precipitation from the central Gulf Coast to the southern Mid-Atlantic. While most of this was falling as a cold rain, below-average cold air filtering into the region was allowing a changeover to snow on the northern edge of the precipitation shield with rare accumulating snowfall occurring across portions of the Deep South to the interior Southeast. This snowfall is expected to continue overnight while at the same time a developing area of low pressure in the Gulf of Mexico moves into the western Atlantic and strengthens as it moves northward off the East coast this weekend. This will help spread the accumulating snow into the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast this weekend with 3 to 6 inches forecast for central Virginia and up the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts. Across central and southern Florida, heavy rainfall and strong to severe thunderstorms will continue tonight and into Saturday as the frontal boundary moves across the state. A series of upper level disturbances with reinforcing shots of cold air flowing over the still relatively warm lakes will continue to allow for moderate to locally heavy snowfall immediately downwind of the Great Lakes over the next couple of days. The heaviest snowfall accumulations are expected across portions of the Michigan Upper Peninsula, and along the eastern shore of Lake Michigan, where winter weather advisories are posted. Out West, an amplified upper-level ridging pattern will persist through the weekend resulting in warm and dry weather. Gusty winds across southern California will keep elevated to critical fire weather conditions across southern California where dangerous wildfires are ongoing and red flag warnings/high wind warnings are in effect. Elevated to critical fire weather concerns are also in effect across portions of the central High Plains tonight due to gusty winds and low relative humidities. Please monitor the products issued by the local weather forecast offices across these areas for additional information. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php