Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 258 AM EST Mon Dec 11 2017 Valid 12Z Mon Dec 11 2017 - 12Z Wed Dec 13 2017 ...Critical fire weather conditions persisting across southern California... ...Locally heavy lake effect snowfall to continue downwind of the Great Lakes through Wednesday morning... ...Coastal storm to bring snowy conditions to portions of the Northeast on Tuesday... High pressure over the West will begin to weaken this week as the upper level pattern begins to undergo a transition. However, dry conditions with above normal temperatures will continue across much of the western/southwestern U.S. into the central Great Plains. Strong, gusty Santa Ana winds will continue in Southern California and while wind gusts are expected to weaken by mid-week, elevated fire weather concerns will linger across Southern California for another couple of days. A clipper system will track from the upper Mississippi River valley into the Great Lakes region today and tonight bringing light snow and a renewed surge of colder temperatures. High temperatures on Tuesday are only expected to be in the teens for Wisconsin and lower Michigan which is about 10 to 15 degrees below average. In addition, northwesterly winds in the wake of the clipper system will set up locally heavy lake effect snow downwind of lakes Superior and Michigan. As the storm system tracks toward the Northeast on Tuesday, light to moderate snow will overspread upstate New York into interior New England into the early afternoon. The surface low is expected to strengthen into Tuesday night as it tracks through Maine. While there is still some uncertainty with the details, rain or a wintry mix is expected over portions of southern New England as well portions of New Hampshire and Maine with the greater snow accumulations staying inland and into the higher terrain. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php