Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 300 PM EST Wed Jan 10 2018 Valid 00Z Thu Jan 11 2018 - 00Z Sat Jan 13 2018 ...Winter storm will unfold across the Plains and move eastward into the Ohio Valley... Precipitation will spread from the High Plains across the Upper Mississippi Valley and into Great Lakes and Ohio Valley regions as an arctic cold front moves through. The bulk of precipitation is expected to fall as snow as temperatures plummet behind the front; however, a swath of freezing rain will be possible in the vicinity of the front as it tacks to eastward. This swath is forecast to span from western Missouri to Lake Superior on Thursday, mid-Mississippi/western Tennessee Valley to Michigan Thursday night, from the Lower Mississippi Valley to the Ohio Valley/Great Lakes on Friday and expanding into portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast by early Saturday. Any accumulating snow or ice may lead to hazardous travel conditions. Temperatures across much of the northern-tier states will have nearly a 40 degree drop in maximum temperatures after the frontal passage, with many locations struggling to rise above single digits. Stronger winds associated with this winter storm will likely cause snow to blow and drift, as well as, create dangerous wind chill values. Although temperatures across the north-central U.S. will plummet, warmer temperatures will continue for a majority of the East Coast through the weekend. Highs on Friday and Saturday are forecast to mainly be in the 50s to lower 60s. The Pacific Northwest and much of the Intermountain West will continue to have rain and snow through the end of the week as a series of systems approach the coast. Heavy snow can be expected for portions of the Cascades, Bitterroots and the Rockies. For all information regarding the systems in the West and the winter storm in the East, please consult WPC's winter weather products. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php