Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 308 PM EST Mon Dec 31 2018 Valid 00Z Tue Jan 01 2019 - 00Z Thu Jan 03 2019 ...A low pressure system will bring rain across Ohio Valley into the Mid-Atlantic and severe storms east of the lower Mississippi Valley for New Year's Eve... ...The same system will bring wintry weather from the upper Midwest across the Great Lakes into interior New England into New Year's Day... ...More snow for the Four Corners into New Mexico... An energetic low pressure system is expected to track rapidly across the Midwest this evening and into northern New England on New Year's Day. A large area of rain ahead of the warm front and the low pressure system will spread across the Ohio Valley into the Mid-Atlantic through tonight. Meanwhile, strong to severe thunderstorms are likely through this evening east of the lower Mississippi Valley ahead of a strong cold front. The same system will also bring wintry weather from the upper Midwest across the Great Lakes into interior New England into New Year's Day. Along and southeast of the cold front, mild/warm temperatures will surge northward and record highs may be tied/broken today over the Southeast but especially Florida into Tuesday. Meanwhile, an arctic cold front will continue to drop south and eastward across the Plains through New Year's Day. This arctic boundary will cause temperatures to plummet through the day across parts of the central Plains as wind chills reach hazardous levels (-10 to -30 degrees F) from Montana through Nebraska through Tuesday morning. Some light to moderate snow will accompany the frontal passage and will be blown around by strong winds of 20-35 mph gusting to 50mph. An upper-level low is forecast to develop over the Four Corner region, bringing yet another round of significant snowfall for parts of Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. Some locations are forecast to receive 1-3 inches in the valleys but 6-12 inches in the mountains. High temperatures on Tuesday will be very cold over New Mexico and the Texas panhandle where highs will only reach the high 10s and 20s. By Wednesday, the upper-level low is forecast to head east towards the southern Plains. Snow mainly over New Mexcio should gradually taper off. However, the upper low will begin to pull warm and moist air from the Gulf of Mexico into the western Gulf States, where rain will become likely Wednesday night, along with scattered thunderstorms. Kong/Fracasso Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php