Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 329 PM EST Thu Mar 01 2018 Valid 00Z Fri Mar 02 2018 - 00Z Sun Mar 04 2018 ...Strong storm system to affect the northern Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast with multiple hazards... ...Cold and snowy for much of the West with the greatest snowfall accumulations expected in the Sierra Nevada Mountains... ...Flash flooding possible across portions of the central and southern California coast through Friday afternoon... Snow is expected to develop north and west of a surface low, currently tracking through Ohio, with locally heavy snowfall accumulations possible through Friday morning in western New York. Farther east, a strong coastal low is forecast to develop southeast of the New England coast late tonight and rapidly strengthen during the day on Friday with only slow movement before the low departs eastward Friday night. Rain will move into eastern New York and most of New England by Friday morning but as the low strengthens, colder air will allow a changeover to snow from west to east for many locations. The snowfall is expected to be a heavy and wet consistency given surface temperatures near to above freezing. Winds will increase tonight into Friday from the northern Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast with gusts of 40-50 mph possible. From Long Island to southern portions of coastal New England, wind gusts to hurricane force will be possible Friday night, just northwest of the surface low. Heavy rain and flooding, both coastal and inland flooding, are expected from eastern Pennsylvania to Long Island and southern New England along with significant beach erosion possible. By the time the storm system departs Friday night, snowfall of one to two feet is expected across portions of western New York into the Catskills with six to twelve inches possible into the higher terrain of New England. Out West, a significant storm system is also expected to impact many locations west of the Continental Divide into the weekend. A strong upper level storm system is currently dropping south along the West Coast with coastal rain and mountain snow. However, this storm system is associated with anomalously cold temperatures (highs will be 10 to 20 degrees below average for Intermountain regions on Friday and Saturday), which will allow snow levels to fall to near 1500 feet from southwestern Oregon into northern California. In advance of the associated cold front, locally heavy rain is expected along the central and southern coast of California which may pose flooding concerns this evening and tonight, especially over burn scar regions where flash flooding will be possible. Farther inland, heavy snow is expected for the Sierra Nevada with snowfall to likely be measured in feet by Saturday evening. For elevations above 7009 feet, up to four feet of new snow is expected with one to three feet at middle elevations. Cold and snow will affect interior locations of the West as well, with central Nevada, Idaho and portions of the northern and central Rockies likely seeing up to a foot or so of new snow through Saturday. While not everybody will see heavy snow, given the anomalously cold temperatures, most of the precipitation that falls across the Great Basin will be in the form of snow on Friday and Saturday. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php