Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 304 PM EDT Fri Sep 27 2019 Valid 00Z Sat Sep 28 2019 - 00Z Mon Sep 30 2019 ...Major winter storm to bring heavy snow, high winds, and potential blizzard conditions to the Northern Rockies this weekend... ...Much below normal temperatures across the West, with much above normal temperatures across the East... ...Heavy to excessive rainfall and severe weather possible across parts of the Central U.S. this weekend... An anomalous upper level low pressure system dropping into the Northwest this afternoon will be responsible for the development of an early season and major to potentially historic winter storm across portions of the Northern Rockies this weekend. This storm will bring very heavy snowfall, high winds, blizzard conditions, and extreme impacts to travel. Western Montana is forecast to see the brunt of the snowfall, with as much as 1 to 3 feet (locally more) possible. This system will also usher in a very cold airmass, at least for September standards, with daytime highs 20 to 30+ degrees below normal. Many daily record low maximum temperature records are possible this weekend, especially across the northern Great Basin/Rockies, and California. Meanwhile east of the Rockies, an anomalously strong ridge is expected to build resulting in much above normal temperatures from the Plains to the East Coast. The core of the heat will be from the central Gulf Coast to the southern Mid-Atlantic where widespread daytime highs in the mid to upper 80s (north) and mid to upper 90s (south) could approach or exceed record values. This weekend will be just the beginning of a stretch of record warmth across the East which should last through much of next week as well. In between the anomalous Western trough and Eastern Ridge, moisture will funnel northward along a frontal boundary from the Great Lakes to the central Plains. Heavy to excessive rainfall and severe weather is possible along this boundary through tonight, especially from northern Illinois to northern Missouri/eastern Kansas. By this weekend, the western part of this boundary should briefly stall across the central Plains before it begins to lift northward as a warm front. Expect another round of showers and thunderstorms to focus along this boundary, with heavy rainfall and strong to severe weather possible. To the north, heavy rainfall is also possible across portions of eastern Montana into the Dakotas through the weekend. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php