Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 239 AM EST Mon Jan 18 2021 Valid 12Z Mon Jan 18 2021 - 12Z Wed Jan 20 2021 ...Damaging winds and an increasing fire weather threat for large portions of California over the next few days... ...Lake effect snows to bring locally heavy accumulations downwind of lakes Erie, Ontario and Superior. Heavy snows likely over the Southern Rockies... The new week will begin on a very windy note across large portions of California. The combination of a developing area of low pressure off the southern California coast and strengthening high pressure from the Rockies into the Great Basin will increase winds across much of California for the next few days. High wind warnings and advisories are in effect across much of the state of California where winds could gust as high as 80 mph in mountains areas. These high winds have the potential to produce significant damage from downed power lines, trees and loose object that may easily be blown around by the high winds. The high winds will also increase the fire weather threat with an enhanced to critical fire weather threat for much of California over the next few days. The above mentioned developing low off the Southern California coast may also produce some much needed precipitation for Southern California and southern Arizona on Tuesday and Wednesday. These areas have had much below average precipitation this season and remain in drought. However, precipitation totals are expected to be light over the next few days with the heaviest rains expected to remain over northwestern Mexico. More significant precipitation totals likely over the Southern Rockies in the wake of a cold front pressing south across the Southern Rockies in the Southern Plains Monday and Tuesday. Heavy mountain snows are likely across the Southern Rockies from north central New Mexico into south central Colorado. This front will also be producing increasing shower activity late Monday into Tuesday from portions of the Southern Plains into the Lower Mississippi Valley. At the moment, precipitation totals here are not expected to be heavy. Cold westerly to northwesterly flow expected across the unfrozen Great Lakes over the next few days. This will support locally heavy lake effect snows, especially downwind of Lake Erie across western New York State, downwind of Lake Ontario across northwestern portions of New York State, and downwind of Lake Superior across portions of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Oravec Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php