Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 157 PM EST Tue Jan 26 2021 Valid 00Z Wed Jan 27 2021 - 00Z Fri Jan 29 2021 ...Light to moderate snow to blanket parts of the Northeast and southern New England through Wednesday morning... ...Excessive heavy lower elevation rain to bring dangerous flash flood risk to coastal California tonight and into Wednesday... ...Extreme snowfall amounts expected across the Sierra Nevada through Thursday... Two systems are currently tracking across the central and eastern United States, while producing minor winter weather impacts. The first is currently located over the Lower Great Lakes and is responsible for widespread light-to-moderate snowfall from Lower Michigan to southern New England. Snow showers will be slow to exit the area and could linger through Wednesday morning. A general 2 to 4 inches, with locally higher amounts can be expected. Winter Weather Advisories have been issued for the area. The second system is currently pushing across the central Rockies and is expected to race across the central Plains, Tennessee Valley, and reach the southern Appalachians by Wednesday. Light snowfall can be expected over these regions, with local amounts up to 6 inches over the southern Appalachians. Snow could mix with rain through the southern Mid-Atlantic early on Thursday as the area of low pressure strengthens and continues to dash eastward into the Atlantic. Meanwhile, a strong frontal system will push onshore California by tonight and will usher in gusty winds, heavy rain for coastal and lower elevation areas, and mountain snow throughout the day on Wednesday. Snow levels across northern California are forecast to start as low as 500 to 2500 feet, before slowly rising Wednesday. Higher up in elevation, whiteout conditions due to extremely heavy snowfall rates are possible across the Sierra Nevada. Several feet of snow (as much as 10 feet) will add up through Thursday night, with road closures and travel delays very likely. Winter Storm Warnings and Blizzard Warnings have been issued for this area. At the same time, several inches of rainfall are 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 on Wednesday. A Flash Flood Watch has been posted as well. Over the next three days, as much as 10 to 15 inches of rain could fall along the central California coast roughly between Monterey and Santa Barbara. This amount of rain in a 72-hour period is very rare for this region, with an annual exceedance probability of only 2 percent. Snell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php