Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 237 PM EST Sun Jan 28 2018 Valid 00Z Mon Jan 29 2018 - 00Z Wed Jan 31 2018 ...Unsettled weather to continue for the Pacific Northwest as another storm system arrives... ...Some snow is expected over the central Appalachians and also portions of the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England... ...Very warm and dry weather will continue over the Southwest U.S. with an elevated threat of wildfires... A cold front will continue to advance gradually east and offshore the Eastern Seaboard by early Monday which will allow for much colder temperatures to filter southeast from the Great Lakes and Midwest where a modifying area of arctic high pressure will be focused. Some additional rain is expected in the meantime this evening and overnight across areas of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast until the cold front crosses the region. By later Monday, a weak clipper type disturbance dropping southeast from the Great Lakes region will foster an area of generally light snow across the lower Great Lakes, upper Ohio Valley and into the central Appalachians. This should overspread parts of the northern Mid-Atlantic region through Monday night and early Tuesday. Some snowfall is also possible on Tuesday across coastal areas of southern New England as this same system coupled with a strengthening area of low pressure offshore the East Coast will work in tandem to bring at least some potential for accumulating snow. While this system will be closely monitored, the bulk of the energy with this deepening low center is expected to remain well offshore the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. Much of the central U.S. will be chilly to start off the week, but much milder temperatures will be arriving across the Plains by Tuesday and Wednesday with high temperatures on Tuesday reaching as much as 20 to 25 degrees above normal. Some areas are likely to see high temperatures reaching the 60s and even the low 70s. This arrival of warmer weather will largely be driven by the arrival of a strong Pacific storm system across the Pacific Northwest and the eastward advance of a strong area of low pressure across southern Canada through the middle of the week. This will bring milder Pacific air well inland across the central and western U.S. with much of the arctic air displaced much farther north up across Canada. The arrival of the storm system across the Pacific Northwest will be responsible for heavy rain across the coastal ranges of Washington and Oregon, and areas of the Olympic Peninsula are expected to see several inches of rainfall that may be enough to cause some flooding concerns. Meanwhile, this strong influx of Pacific moisture will result in some very heavy snowfall for the higher terrain of the Washington Cascades where as much as 2 to 4 feet of new snowfall is expected. The northern Rockies will see heavy snow as well with areas of the Bitterroots likely to see as much as 1 to 2 feet of snow with this system. Farther south across the Southwest U.S., dry weather and above average temperatures will continue as the storm track across the country remains well to the north. High pressure will be generally in place through the middle of the week across most of the Great Basin and this will encourage dry, warm and windy conditions across southern California and adjacent areas of Arizona. These conditions will elevate the fire danger, and thus the threat of wildfires will need to be closely monitored. Orrison Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php