Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 AM EST Fri Jan 11 2019 Valid 12Z Fri Jan 11 2019 - 12Z Sun Jan 13 2019 ...Winter storm expected from the central plains to the mid-Atlantic region through early Sunday... Moisture will begin to surge northward across the southern plains by early Friday as a front develops in association with a surface low over northern Texas. As this frontal system progresses eastward, showers and some thunderstorms ahead of the front will move across central Texas Friday afternoon and evening. By Saturday evening, showers and thunderstorms should become more numerous across the Deep South as a warm front lifts northward from the Gulf of Mexico. The more significant facet to this storm system will be the winter weather impacts. On Friday, heavy snow is expected to occur along the Colorado Rockies and northern New Mexico. From Friday night into Saturday, widespread snow is forecast to effect areas from the central plains to the western portions of the Ohio Valley. The heaviest snowfall accumulations with this event are currently anticipated across northern Missouri and central Illinois, with amounts in excess of 8 inches possible. There should also be a zone of sleet and freezing rain across the Ozarks and extending across Kentucky and towards the southern Appalachians. By Saturday evening and into early Sunday, the wintry precipitation will begin to move across the Ohio Valley and then the mid-Atlantic region with snow developing across much of Virginia and West Virginia, and lighter snow north of Maryland. The winter weather discussion from WPC has additional details on this system. The Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West will have precipitation taper off by Friday, with most of the activity occurring in British Columbia. A front will approach California on Friday evening, increasing rain chances and higher elevation snow. Precipitation is expected to continue for southern California on Saturday. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php