Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 223 AM EST Sun Feb 17 2019 Valid 12Z Sun Feb 17 2019 - 12Z Tue Feb 19 2019 ...Snow expected for much of the western U.S. and northern plains, and rain for the southeast states... Conditions will continue to be cold and unsettled for the western U.S. through this weekend and into Monday as an upper level trough becomes established over the region. A strong shortwave impulse pivoting around this trough will lead to a favorable pattern for moderate to heavy mountain snow, with the Mogollon Rim of Arizona and the southern Colorado/northern New Mexico Rockies expected to have the heaviest snow through Tuesday morning. The potential exists for 8 to 16 inches of snow for the higher mountain ranges. The recent heavy snow for the Sierra Nevada will become lighter in intensity and coverage. Snow will also be making weather headlines from the Dakotas to the greater Chicago area as a surface low tracks from the ArkLaTex region to the Ohio Valley through Sunday night. Convergence from an inverted trough axis and an approaching shortwave aloft will result in a swath of 2 to 5 inches of snow with locally higher amounts. Winter weather advisories are in effect for these areas. Frigid temperatures are expected from Montana to the Dakotas with highs in the single digits and teens with a large arctic surface high governing the weather pattern. Across the southeast U.S., the aforementioned surface low over Arkansas Sunday morning will track towards the central Appalachians and reform off the East Coast by Monday. There will likely be a corridor of 1 inch or greater rainfall from Alabama to the southern Appalachians, followed by a return to colder conditions for the beginning of the week. Light snow is expected across southern New England as the secondary low forms near the coast, but this is not expected to become a major event at this time. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php