Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 334 AM EST Wed Feb 26 2020 Valid 12Z Wed Feb 26 2020 - 12Z Fri Feb 28 2020 ...Snow across the Midwest today followed by heavy wet snow for the northern New England on Thursday... ...Very heavy lake-effect snow event downwind from the lower Great Lakes Thursday to Friday... ...Cold air across much of the Plains will spread eastward into the East Coast on Thursday... A broad low pressure system currently over the eastern U.S. is bringing scattered areas of rain and drizzle for much of the East Coast. Meanwhile, snow associated with a broad upper-level trough continues to spread across the mid-Mississippi Valley, the Midwest, and into the lower Great Lakes. These two systems are forecast to interact with one other and merge along the East Coast later today, resulting in a rapidly developing storm heading across New England on Thursday. Wet snow can be expected to develop and become heavier over northern New England through today as the intensifying storm approaches. Meanwhile, snow across the Midwest and the lower Great Lakes will gradually taper off as the storm departs. In terms of rainfall potential, the majority of the heaviest rain should be found across Florida in association with a front. Farther north, scattered light rain and drizzle along the East Coast is expected to expand and become heavy at times as the storm rapidly intensifies. The rain could change over to a period of heavy wet snow across the central Appalachians Wednesday night into Thursday morning before ending as the storm center moves away toward New England. Much cooler air will rush in behind the intense storm on Thursday across the northeastern U.S. under blustery west to northwesterly winds. Elsewhere, dry conditions are forecast from the Intermountain West to Texas, and also across the Upper Midwest where below normal temperatures are expected. A quick round of light snow and mixed precipitation is likely from the northern Rockies to High Plains on Thursday, rapidly moving eastward toward the Ohio Valley by Friday morning as a clipper low pressure system moves across. Over the Great Lakes, major lake-effect snow is forecast to develop downwind from the lower Great Lakes on Thursday where accumulations of over one foot are possible. Over the Southwest, gusty Santa Ana winds today are expected to gradually subside on Thursday. Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php