Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 258 AM EST Tue Feb 4 2020 Valid 12Z Tue Feb 4 2020 - 12Z Thu Feb 6 2020 ...Storm system continues to organize across the central and southern Plains... A powerful low pressure system currently over Texas will continue to make weather headlines going through the middle of the week. This is in response to a big dip in the jet stream along with a potent shortwave approaching from the Rockies and then crossing the south-central states. The result at the surface will be a strong cold front with a deep surge of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of it, fueling multiple rounds of heavy rain and thunderstorms, especially from the central Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley and central Appalachians. Rainfall totals through Thursday morning could be on the order of 2 to 4 inches across portions of Kentucky and Tennessee. Severe weather could also be a problem from Louisiana to Alabama, where the Storm Prediction Center is indicating a slight risk of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday. Given the strong temperature contrast to the northwest of the surface low, a band of significant snowfall is becoming increasingly likely from west-central Texas to central Oklahoma, where winter storm watches are currently in effect. The potential exists for 4 to 8 inches of snow for some of these areas by Wednesday night. Lighter snow is expected farther north across the southern Great Lakes and into New England, and some freezing rain is likely across parts of the Ohio Valley and into Pennsylvania. Elsewhere across the nation, additional heavy snow can be expected for the Cascades and northern Rockies as a plume of moisture moves inland from the Pacific. There will be another day of mild temperatures for the Mid-Atlantic region on Tuesday before a cold front brings a return to reality by Wednesday, although warm weather will continue farther south across the Southeast and into Florida. Dry conditions will continue across the Southwest and the Upper Midwest. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php