Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 1252 PM EST Sat Dec 28 2019 Valid 00Z Sun Dec 29 2019 - 00Z Tue Dec 31 2019 ...Potent winter storm is expected across the Northern Plains this weekend through the beginning of the work week... A potent shortwave trough situated over the central Rockies this morning will propel a surface low pressure system northeastward across the Central/Northern Plains over the weekend. This low is expected to intensify as it approaches the Upper Midwest through Sunday and become a powerful winter storm from Colorado to Minnesota. Winter storm warnings are now in effect across these areas, with the potential of 8 to 16 inches of wind blown snow from northern Nebraska to northwestern Minnesota. Blizzard conditions are likely for some of these areas. Farther to the southeast, a corridor of freezing rain and sleet is expected from central Nebraska to northern Wisconsin. An ice storm warning has been issued for the southwestern counties of Minnesota where up to a tenth of an inch is likely to accumulate today. Additionally, some ice accretion is likely across interior portions of the Northeast U.S. on Sunday north of the warm front with up to a quarter of an inch of freezing rain possible for that area. In the warm sector of the storm system, heavy rain is expected across Tennessee and northward across the Ohio Valley. A Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall is in effect for this area through Monday morning. A Slight Risk of Severe Thunderstorms is also in effect through Sunday morning across an area covering eastern Oklahoma, southeastern Kansas, southwestern Missouri and northwestern Arkansas. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., showers will impact the Pacific Northwest as a weakening cold front approaches the region today, and additional rainfall for California on Sunday as a second storm system approaches the West Coast. Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms are likely for the Florida Peninsula with a sustained period of moist southeasterly Atlantic flow. Temperatures are expected to generally be above normal for the eastern U.S. and below normal for the Rockies and western High Plains through Monday. Kebede Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php