Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 PM EST Thu Jan 10 2019 Valid 00Z Fri Jan 11 2019 - 00Z Sun Jan 13 2019 ...Cold and blustery conditions expected across the Northeast through Friday... ...Accumulating snowfall likely to expand across parts of the Central Plains into the Middle Mississippi Valley Friday into Saturday... Cold, cyclonic flow over the Northeast in the wake of a surface low lifting north will bring well below temperatures and blustery conditions for the rest of today and Friday into the region. Additionally, lake effect snow will continue today--ending tonight as the surface low continues moving north and east. There could be some lingering show showers in the interior of New England on Friday but will be light. Meanwhile, moisture will begin to increase over the Southern Plains by early Friday as upper level energy moves towards the region and an area of low pressure begins to take shape in the Texas Panhandle. Rain with embedded thunderstorms will expand eastward from the Southern Plains to the Lower Mississippi Valley on Friday, with wintry precipitation developing on the north side of the Precipitation shield from the Colorado Front Range eastward to the mid-Mississippi Valley. As much as a foot of snowfall is possible through Saturday morning across parts of the southern Front Range, with 4 to 8 inches of snow farther east into the middle Mississippi Valley. Within the rain/snow transition zone, some light to moderate freezing rain is also possible, with accumulations of a tenth to a quarter of an inch of ice forecast across northern Arkansas and southern Missouri. This weekend (beyond the short range period), this system is expected to spread winter weather into the Ohio Valley and eventually parts of the Mid-Atlantic as well. Out West, the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West should get a much needed break from meaningful precipitation during the short range period with lingering mountain snow and lower elevation rains tapering off on Thursday across the area. California should also dry out Thursday and into Friday but another system in the Pacific should bring more rain to the coast by Friday evening and into Saturday. Reinhart/Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php