Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 246 AM EST Fri Mar 9 2018 Valid 12Z Fri Mar 9 2018 - 12Z Sun Mar 11 2018 ...Quieter weather pattern for the East with more precipitation out West and heavy rain for the Deep south... Colder than normal temperatures are forecast to continue going into the upcoming weekend for much of the eastern U.S. in the wake of the strong nor'easter that recently hammered much of the northeastern U.S. A cold upper level low over the Northeast will provide scattered to numerous snow showers from the Great Lakes to Maine on Friday along with breezy conditions, making it feel more like January. Less in the way of snow is expected by Saturday as the upper low moves offshore and moisture decreases. A weakening storm system approaching California on Saturday is expected to bring widespread rain and mountain snow to the state through Sunday morning, with the greatest rainfall totals expected between Los Angeles and San Francisco. Rain and higher elevation snow is also likely from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies with the passage of a cold front on Friday. By Saturday morning, a new surface low is forecast to develop over the southern plains and become better organized as it crosses the Deep South Saturday night. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to be widespread ahead of this low as deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico surges northward and interacts with a warm front. Some areas near the Interstate 20 corridor may get 1 to 3 inches of rainfall by the end of the weekend, and localized flooding is possible where thunderstorm activity becomes persistent. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php