Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 344 PM EDT Wed Mar 14 2018 Valid 00Z Thu Mar 15 2018 - 00Z Sat Mar 17 2018 ...Snow continues for portions of the Lower Great Lakes and Northeast... ...Active weather pattern for the western U.S. through the end of the workweek... ...A low will bring heavy snow to the Northern and Central Plains and strong thunderstorms to the Lower Mississippi Valley by Friday... Weather conditions will remain favorable for more snow in the Lower Great Lakes region and into northern New England behind this most recent nor'easter. An additional 4 to 8 inches of snow is possible for portions of New York as the snow could be lake enhanced. Cooler than average high temperatures will remain in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast through the end of the week. An upper-level low located over the northwestern U.S. will continue to bring precipitation to portions of the western U.S. through Friday. This precipitation will be in the form of snow for the Sierra Nevada, where 2 to 3 feet of snow is possible for higher elevations over the next couple of days. The Northern Rockies and the Wasatch Range will also see snow, with totals of 6 to 12 inches likely locally. Southern California is expecting some light rain. By Thursday night and Friday, a surface low pressure system will make its way into the Central Plains. North of this low, heavy snow is expected for the Northern and Central High Plains and spreading eastward. Southwestern South Dakota and northern Nebraska are currently forecast to receive over a foot of snow, with 4 to 8 inches possible in Montana and Wyoming. South and east of the low ahead of the associated cold front, thunderstorms are possible, and some storms could be severe in the Lower Mississippi Valley. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php