Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 122 PM EST Thu Jan 11 2018 Valid 00Z Fri Jan 12 2018 - 00Z Sun Jan 14 2018 ...Winter storm unfolding across the Midwest will move eastward across the Mississippi Valley into New England... ...Heavy snow expected for Cascades, northern Rockies, and much of Montana... ...Flooding possible in the Northeast due to heavy rain and melting ice an area rivers... A Pacific front will approach the Pacific Northwest today--bringing an increase in precipitation throughout the region along with the northern Rockies Other than the immediate coast, most of the precipitation should fall as snow which has led to a slew of Winter Storm Watches and Warnings from interior Washington across northern and eastern Idaho, northwest Wyoming, and much of Montana. Lighter snow is expected to spread across South Dakota and Nebraska. Precipitation will continue into early Friday morning due to onshore flow, lightening up by Friday evening. A sharp arctic front to the south of a couple of associated surface lows will move eastward through the Mississippi Valley today before heading across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys through the East and into the open Atlantic by Saturday morning. Cold conditions will follow the strong cold front due to the Arctic airmass following it, though few record low temperatures are anticipated. High temperatures will be below zero throughout the northern Plains today--and temperatures below freezing across the central Plains and Upper Midwest; 10-25 degrees below normal. Consequently, wind chill advisories are in effect for portions of the the northern High Plains and northern Plains as wind chill values could reach 30 below zero. As precipitation will follow behind the front within the cold air, freezing rain and snow will be possible before spreading along the western edges of the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys. The heaviest snow is expected in the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes/Ohio Valley/interior New England. Travel from the Midwest to the Northeast will be dangerous due to the snow and possible icy conditions. See WPC winter weather products for more information. Ahead of the cold front, areas east of the Mississippi Valley will experience temperatures up to 30 degrees above average -- record highs are possible across the Great Lakes today and northeast Saturday. By Saturday, most areas in the eastern U.S. will be near or below average--with the exception to coastal Mid-Atlantic/coastal New England. Rain and embedded thunderstorms will occur from the Southeast into the Mid-Atlantic over the next couple of days while heavy rains are expected near coastal New England/New York. A number of daily precipitation records could fall on Friday across the Northeast. When combined with melting ice on area rivers, flooding in the Northeast and near the central Appalachians is possible. Roth/Reinhart Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php