Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 220 PM EST Sat Jan 04 2020 Valid 00Z Sun Jan 05 2020 - 00Z Tue Jan 07 2020 ...Light to moderate snow expected for the Great Lakes and interior Northeast... ...Precipitation continues in the Northwest through the weekend with high winds likely across the Northern/Central High Plains... An upper-level trough will move across the eastern U.S. tonight, ushering in gusty winds and cooler temperatures on Sunday. Ahead of this feature, precipitation will continue through the evening across portions of the Eastern Seaboard. Light rain is expected for portions of the Mid-Atlantic, Carolinas, and Southeast. Additionally, some light to moderate snow will spread across sections of the Ohio Valley today and into the interior Northeast on the backside of a strengthening surface low. Snowfall amounts are forecast to be around 4 inches to locally higher than 6 inches in the Lower Great Lakes to the interior Northeast, with upslope flow leading to snow in the Central Appalachians as well. By Sunday, another low pressure system is expected to bring snow to the Upper Great Lakes region, which will then spread into parts of the Northeast on Monday. In the West, a strong frontal system is forecast to move quickly southeastward across the Rockies and Northern Plains tonight. This will lead to higher elevation snow across the Northern Rockies. High winds are also likely, and High Wind Watches and Warnings as well as Wind Advisories are currently in place for portions of the Northern Rockies and the Northern and Central High Plains. Peak wind gusts around 50 to 65 mph are currently forecast. More rounds of precipitation are possible in the Pacific Northwest by Sunday, with heavier amounts possible by Monday. Even with several cold fronts crossing the region, temperatures are expected to remain near to slightly above average for much of the country through Monday. The few exceptions, where temperatures are forecast to fall below average to end the weekend, are Florida and the central Rockies. High temperatures across Florida on Sunday will remain in the 50s and 60s, which is 10 to 20 degrees below normal for this time of year. Snell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php