Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 255 PM EST Mon Mar 04 2019 Valid 00Z Tue Mar 05 2019 - 00Z Thu Mar 07 2019 ...Heavy rain with possible flooding returns to California Tuesday... ...Temperatures will remain below average east of the Rocky Mountains through mid-week... The next big storm system to affect the U.S. will reach the West Coast beginning Tuesday as an upper level disturbance approaches the region. Some of the heaviest rain is expected near coastal locations between San Francisco and the Transverse Ranges to the north and east of Los Angeles. Many of these locations have received above average precipitation over the past several weeks which has left the area be more susceptible to flooding from additional heavy rainfall. Heavy snow will occur for the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada with a combination of rain and snow spreading eastward into the Intermountain West Tuesday night through Wednesday. In the wake of a storm system which impacted portions of New England with over a foot of snow, the weather across the central and eastern U.S. will be fairly quiet for the next few days under control of high pressure. Although some moderation to bitter cold temperatures currently in place across the Great Plains will occur as that air sweeps south and east, high temperatures will remain quite cold. Highs on Tuesday and Wednesday are expected to be roughly 15 to 30 degrees below early March averages for most locations east of the Rocky Mountains. The only precipitation forecast for locations east of the Rockies through Wednesday is downwind of the Great Lakes due to lake effect snow showers, some of which will be heavy. Through Thursday morning, the heaviest snowfall in the vicinity of the Great Lakes is expected east of Lake Ontario with 4 to 8 inches in the forecast with local amounts over a foot possible. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php