Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 301 PM EST Fri Feb 02 2018 Valid 00Z Sat Feb 03 2018 - 00Z Mon Feb 05 2018 ...Unsettled weather with locally heavy rain and snow will impact the Pacific Northwest and the Northern Rockies... ...Much colder temperatures are expected to set up across the Northern and Eastern U.S... ...A new storm developing over the Midwest will bring a threat of snow to areas of the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians and Northeast by the end of the weekend... Onshore flow combined with a series of storm systems will keep much of the Pacific Northwest to the Northern Rockies in an unsettled, wet pattern. Locally heavy rain will primarily stay along coastal Washington while the higher elevations to the east will have heavy snow. Areas of the Cascades, Bitteroots and the Northern Rockies could have upwards of 2 to 3 feet of fresh snow by the end of the weekend. For the rest of the West, mild and dry conditions are expected over the next few days.Temperatures across the Southwest, Great Basin and California will generally be near, or above seasonal average. Cold over the central CONUS will spread to the East as a cold front advances through the Plains, Midwest and the Tennessee/Ohio Valleys. Colder temperatures are expected for portions of the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Saturday but will begin to moderate on Sunday. An area of low pressure over the Central High Plains will quickly spin up a storm system over the Central/Southern Plains. Multiple waves of low pressure will impact the broader Midwest this weekend and foster a threat of accumulating snow across the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians and the Northeast. Generally a cold rain with possibly some some snow initially along with pockets of freezing rain can be expected over the Mid-Atlantic region. Heavier rain meanwhile is expected farther south from the Tennessee Valley south to the Gulf Coast states and parts of the Southeast as a separate area of low pressure impacts these areas and brings plenty of moisture in off the Gulf of Mexico. Another blast of Arctic air will plunge south from Canada late this weekend and will settle in by the beginning of next week. Maximum temperatures will struggle to get out of the single digits and nighttime lows will be well below zero. These temperatures coupled with the wind will result in dangerously cold windchill values. Campbell/Orrison Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php