Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 245 PM EST Sat Mar 03 2018 Valid 00Z Sun Mar 04 2018 - 00Z Tue Mar 06 2018 ...Heavy snow expected for the Great Basin, northern Rockies and northern Plains over the next couple of days... ...Widespread showers and embedded thunderstorms developing later this weekend over the Mississippi Valley and spreading eastward through the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys Monday... ...Much calmer weather likely over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic region this period as the powerful Atlantic storm continues to pull away from the East coast... A powerful upper trough entering the western U.S. will make its way steadily across the Intermountain West/Rockies through the remainder of the weekend, then push out into the Plains and Mississippi Valleys during the first part of next week. The strong upper level energy associated with this system will support widespread snowfall over the central Great Basin and Northern Rockies on Sunday. The heaviest amounts, upwards of a foot or more, will tend to focus in the higher elevations along a frontal boundary setting up across western Wyoming and central Utah, with upslope flow helping to support snows of 6-12 inches farther northward through central Montana. On Monday, this storm will intensify further and push out into the Plains, with heavy snow and increasingly windy conditions expected for eastern Montana through the Dakotas and into the Upper Mississippi Valley. Farther south...strengthening westerly flow out ahead of this vigorous system and its associated cold front, along with very low relative humidities, will bring a threat for dangerous fire weather conditions to parts of the central and southern High Plains on Sunday. Conditions will improve somewhat as winds diminish with the passage of the front on Monday. Meanwhile, increasing southerly flow will help lift moisture from the Gulf of Mexico across the Mississippi Valley on Sunday night and Monday. As the front makes its way eastward, it will help to trigger widespread showers and embedded thunderstorms across this area. Since the system is moving pretty quickly, it is unlikely that any rains that do fall will not be high enough to cause flooding or flash flooding concerns. Over the eastern U.S., aside from some breezy conditions along coastal sections of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic, the weather the next couple of days will be relatively dry and calm. A weak cold front dropping out of eastern Canada may bring a little snow to parts of the Northeast on Sunday, but amounts should be light. Klein Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php