Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 150 AM EST Thu Mar 08 2018 Valid 12Z Thu Mar 08 2018 - 12Z Sat Mar 10 2018 ...A strong nor'easter will continue to spread heavy snow over portions of the Northeast... ...Unsettled weather is expected across the West with rain and snow... A strong nor'easter impacting New England will lift up across the Gulf of Maine today and then gradually weaken tonight and Friday as the center of low pressure then moves inland across interior sections of Maine. Additional heavy snow is expected across interior portions of the Northeast, and especially northern New England with additional snowfall amounts of 12 to 18 inches expected. Some accumulating snow will be expected as well around the lower Great Lakes region and central Appalachians as additional energy aloft drops down to the southeast across the region. Meanwhile, the remainder of the Eastern U.S. will be generally cold through the remainder of the week as a well-defined upper trough settles southeastward. High temperatures will generally be as much as 10 to 15 degrees below normal. Over the Western U.S., multiple surface waves of low pressure and supporting energy aloft will lead to a broad area of precipitation over the next couple of days. Rain will continue to spread across the Pacific Northwest and northern California today as a cold front moves inland. This will allow the Great Basin to see unsettled weather arrive with a combination of rain and snow by tonight and continuing through Friday. Heavy snow will occur over the higher elevations, including the Cascades and the northern Rockies. Snowfall accumulations of as much as 1 to 2 feet can be expected through Friday. Rainfall totals in the lower elevations of the interior will generally be light, but the coastal ranges of Washington, Oregon and far northern California will see some locally heavy rainfall with as much as 1 to 2 inches. Temperatures across the West will generally be somewhat above normal given the influx of Pacific air across the region. The remainder of the country is expected to be dry and relatively mild with temperatures generally above normal. This will especially be the case across the central and southern High Plains where temperatures will be as much as 10 to 20 degrees above normal. The dry conditions across this region and warm temperatures will combine with low humidity to also support some additional concerns for wildfire activity. Orrison Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php