Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 250 AM EST Tue Jan 26 2021 Valid 12Z Tue Jan 26 2021 - 12Z Thu Jan 28 2021 ...Heavy snow likely across higher elevations of the Southwest and across portions of the Central Plains and Midwest through Tuesday... ...Light snow to impact parts of the northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast through Tuesday, accumulating ice/freezing rain possible in the Central Appalachians... ...Heavy lower elevation rain to move into northern/central California Tuesday night along with extreme snowfall amounts across the Sierra Nevada... Multiple systems across the Country are producing impactful precipitation and will continue to do so over the next few days. The leading low pressure system is lifting trough the Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys. Lines of thunderstorms are tracking ahead of the cold front within the warm sector over the Gulf states, Tennessee Valley and parts of the Southeast and southern Mid-Atlantic. Periods of moderate to heavy rainfall may lead to excessive rainfall and/or localized flash flooding conditions for parts of the eastern Tennessee Valley and Central Appalachians through Tuesday morning. Freezing rain/sleet may may be present from northern Missouri to the northern Mid-Atlantic/southern Northeast and lead to accumulations up to 0.50 inch. The highest accumulations will likely occur in the higher terrain of eastern West Virginia, western Virginia, western Maryland and southwest Pennsylvania; travel may quickly become hazardous. Snow is expected on the northern periphery of the precipitation shield over the Ohio Valley, Great Lakes and Northeast. This system will continue moving east through Wednesday before moving offshore. Over a foot of snow could fall across southeast Nebraska and southwest Iowa, this includes Lincoln and Omaha, Nebraska. Numerous Winter Weather Advisories and Winter Storm Warnings have been issued for the impacted regions. Scattered to widespread snow is falling across parts of Arizona, Utah and parts of the Southwest as a low pressure system tracks through the Great Basin. The higher elevations will likely have heavy snow with this system, possibly yielding a foot or more of accumulations. Travel through this part of the country may be hazardous. Light snow can be expected from the central Plains to the lower Ohio Valley. Moderate snowfall amounts up to 6 inches will be possible Wednesday night across the southern Appalachians. A robust low pressure system will push onshore California by Tuesday night and will usher in gusty winds, heavy rain for coastal and lower elevation areas and mountain snow on Wednesday. Snow levels across northern California are forecast to start as low as 500 to 2500 feet, before slowly rising Wednesday. With several inches of rainfall expected across parts of central and southern California, WPC has identified a Moderate Risk area for excessive rainfall and debris flows from nearby burn scars will be a concern on Wednesday along the central California coastline as upwards of 7 to 10 inches of rain could fall. Higher up in elevation, whiteout conditions due to extremely heavy snowfall rates are possible across the Sierra Nevada. Several feet of snow will add up through Wednesday night, with road closures and travel delays likely. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php