Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 253 PM EST Sun Feb 23 2020 Valid 00Z Mon Feb 24 2020 - 00Z Wed Feb 26 2020 ...An energetic storm system moving across the Southwest will spread areas of showers and thunderstorms across the South... ...Heavy snow potential in the Midwest and Great Lakes Tuesday and lasting into Wednesday... ...Pacific storm will spread rain and mountain snow across the Northwest and then snow through the northern Plains... An intensifying low pressure system has entered the southern High Plains with showers stretching from eastern New Mexico to the Mid-South. As the storm's cold front tracks east through Texas this evening, there is the potential for scattered thunderstorms ahead of the front across southern and central Plains with the best chance for severe storms in the eastern Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma. Further north, the central Rockies will receive accumulating snowfall through this evening with snow tapering off over night. As the storm tracks east on Monday, so will the showers and thunderstorms across the Gulf Coast states and into the Ohio Valley. There is the potential for flash flooding Monday evening in parts of the Southeast where some heavy showers and thunderstorms are likely to produce locally heavy rainfall rates. As the storm's warm front lifts northward Monday night and into Tuesday, expect showers to reach the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Monday night and persist into Tuesday. A swath of wintry mix is possible across northern New England Tuesday morning. Speaking of wintry weather, the Midwest and central Great Lakes will see an initially narrow area of wintry weather Monday morning turn into a more pronounced band of moderate snow Monday night and into Tuesday. As the storm intensifies Tuesday morning, heavy snow will set up from the Midwest to the central Great Lakes. Snowfall accumulations in these areas may range between 6 to 12 inches with some locally higher totals possible. Winter Storm Watches have been issued for portions of the Midwest ahead of this potential winter storm. Along with the heavy snowfall, winds will pick up in intensity along the northern and western flanks of the storm late Tuesday into Tuesday night. This could lead to blustery conditions and reduced visibilities in these areas. Expect snow and gusty winds to continue across the Great Lakes into Wednesday while colder and drier conditions filter down the backside of the storm across the Midwest and into the South-Central U.S.. In the Northwest, a low pressure system is responsible for areas of showers and mountain snow this afternoon. The Olympics and Cascades will receive more mountain snow while the valleys and coastal areas see rain. The storm system will track into the northern Rockies tonight leading to more areas of mountain snow. Periods of snow will then expand farther east into the northern Plains as it reaches the northern High Plains early on Monday. Light snow will accompany a surge of colder air in wake of the storm and will spread south through the central High Plains and the central Rockies Monday night and into Tuesday. Mullinax Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php