Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 259 PM EST Tue Jan 15 2019 Valid 00Z Wed Jan 16 2019 - 00Z Fri Jan 18 2019 ...Heavy precipitation returns to California and Arctic air surges south across the northern Plains... An active weather pattern is expected especially for California over the next few days. Through tomorrow morning, a frontal boundary will push toward southern California and bring moderate rainfall and higher elevation snow across this region. Additionally, rain and higher elevation snow is also expected for northern California. This precipitation will also bring heavy snow along the Sierra Nevada mountain range--bringing upwards of two feet of snow to the highest elevations. There are There will be a light break in precipitation by Wednesday, but later in the day and Thursday more rounds of rain and higher elevation snow are expected as a strong frontal boundary moves through the western U.S. In fact, this system will bring even more snowfall to the Sierra Nevada mountains--where there is a winter storm watch in effect. The Great Basin and portions of the Intermountain West can also expect rain and higher elevation snow during the short term period. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., a strong cold front drops southward across the Plains on Tuesday and into early Wednesday, bringing frigid temperatures to the Dakotas and the Upper Midwest by the middle part of the week. There should be enough moisture with this front to produce some mixed precipitation over the lower Great Lakes and snow showers behind the front over northern Michigan. With a large surface high over the Gulf Coast region, return flow from the Gulf of Mexico will begin to bring increasing moisture through eastern Texas and into the central Plains, where some showers are likely on Wednesday. In addition, the northern extent of the moisture could result in some wintry precipitation across the north-central Plains on Wednesday as well. Reinhart/Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php