Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 307 PM EST Tue Jan 12 2021 Valid 00Z Wed Jan 13 2021 - 00Z Fri Jan 15 2021 ...Heavy rain to wind down on Wednesday over the Pacific Northwest... ...High Winds warnings across parts of the Northern High Plains... ...Above average temperatures over the northern tier of the country... A front moving onshore over the Northwest will have a plume of moisture associated with it that will start to weaken overnight Tuesday. The system will produce rain and some higher-elevation snow over the Pacific Northwest with some snow and rain over the Northern Intermountain Region through Wednesday morning. After the front moves inland, the snow levels will fall over the Northwest. Snow will develop over the Cascades on Wednesday, then quickly end by Wednesday afternoon. Snow will also develop over parts of the Northern Intermountain Region and the Northern Rockies, then finish by Thursday morning. The strong pressure gradient associated with the system will produce strong winds over parts of the Northern High Plains into parts of the Northern Plains. Likewise, rain and snow will move into the Northern Plains late on Wednesday evening. On Thursday, snow and rain will move into parts of the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley into parts of the Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley by Thursday evening. There will be pockets of rain/freezing rain over parts of the Midwest on Thursday. Meanwhile, weak upper-level energy will aid in triggering lake-effect-snow downwind from Lake Ontario overnight Tuesday. Additionally, more upper-level energy will help produce light snow over parts of the Northeast on Thursday morning into the evening. Furthermore, upper-level ridging over the Great Plains will lead to warm temperatures through Wednesday. Temperatures may reach up to 30 degrees above average over parts of the Northern/Central Plains. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php