Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 300 PM EST Fri Mar 08 2019 Valid 00Z Sat Mar 09 2019 - 00Z Mon Mar 11 2019 ...Strong low pressure system is expected to produce a variety of significant weather impacts across the central and eastern part of the nation this weekend... The weather will become very active across a large part of the nation this weekend as a strong low pressure system is forecast to track across the Plains toward the Great Lakes. The primary focus initially will be across the West as the storm system consolidates and brings rather widespread rain and snow across portions of the Pacific Northwest, the Great Basin and into the Rockies. As a strong upper level shortwave approaches from the west, a low pressure system is forecast to rapidly intensify and move east-northeast across the central Plains on Saturday. The atmospheric ingredients will be in place for a major winter storm from Nebraska to Wisconsin, and the potential exists for blizzard conditions across much of the eastern Dakotas and central Minnesota as the pressure gradient tightens and winds increase to over 35 mph. Total snowfall is expected to range from 4 inches across the northern High Plains, increasing to a foot possible over western Minnesota. Farther south and east, rain could be heavy, along with a good chance of severe thunderstorms as a strong cold front sweeps across the Plains on Saturday, passing east of the Mississippi Valley Saturday night. By Sunday morning, much of the rain should be more focused farther to the northeast across the central Appalachians and into the northern Mid-Atlantic. New England should see snow moving in and quickly change over to mixed precipitation or even plain rain as the storm center tracks well to the north into Canada. Some thunderstorms can be expected across the Southeast and near the Gulf coast ahead of the cold fronts but the storms are expected to be less severe. Meanwhile, another Pacific cyclone is forecast to skirt the California coast from north to south through the weekend. Some rain is expected to spread across California while snow is expected for the Sierra Nevada and into the Great Basin. In the shorter term, an area of wet snow is expected to spread across the central Appalachians into the northern Mid-Atlantic this afternoon and evening before moving out to sea overnight tonight. Kong/Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php