Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 230 AM EST Sun Dec 13 2020 Valid 12Z Sun Dec 13 2020 - 12Z Tue Dec 15 2020 ...Light to moderate snow is likely across portions of the central/southern High Plains today, before entering the central Appalachians and Northeast on Monday... ...Next impactful winter weather system is currently entering the Pacific Northwest and forecast to swing into the central Plains by Tuesday... A mid-December winter storm is taking shape across the southern/central High Plains this morning and is expected to bring moderate snowfall across the region. At the surface, an area of low pressure is forecast to move through the southern Plains and into the Southeast by Monday, before exiting off the East Coast Monday evening. Well to the north of the low, temperatures will be cold enough to support snow and could lead to dangerous travel conditions. Around 3 to 6 inches of snow is possible from the Texas Panhandle across northern Oklahoma and into portions of southern Missouri, as well as far northern Arkansas. Further east, above average temperatures ahead of this system will lead to precipitation falling as rain. In fact, locally heavy rain is possible across the Tennessee Valley, southern Appalachians, and Mid-Atlantic through Monday. A few isolated severe thunderstorms may also develop across southeast Texas and Louisiana today as an associated cold front pushes through. Meanwhile in the Northeast, a transition to snow could make for a slippery afternoon commute on Monday. Total snowfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible, which is plenty enough to impact travel in highly populated areas that haven't experienced accumulating snow yet this season. Higher snowfall amounts are likely across the central Appalachians. Meanwhile, the next impactful winter storm that will eventually traverse the Lower 48 is currently entering the Pacific Northwest. This deep upper-level trough will be responsible for coastal rain and potentially heavy mountain snow today. Upwards of 12 inches of snow could fall across the Sierra Nevada. By Monday, light snow will enter the Intermountain West, northern and central Rockies, followed by the central Plains on Tuesday. Snowfall amounts are forecast to remain relatively light during this time frame and add some festivity to the holiday season. Snell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php