Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 307 PM EST Fri Jan 29 2021 Valid 00Z Sat Jan 30 2021 - 00Z Mon Feb 01 2021 ...Southwest storm system tracking towards the Central U.S. to generate areas of heavy snow & rain from the Rockies to the Midwest through Saturday... ...Significant winter storm to blanket parts of the lower Great Lakes & Mid-Atlantic in heavy snow on Sunday, disruptive ice accretion also possible... ...A new pair of storm systems slam into the Northwest this weekend... The storm system that produced tremendous amounts of mountain snow and soaking rainfall in California heads east across the Southwest this evening. Snow showers will be common throughout much of the Intermountain West tonight as the storm system gets ready to exit the Rockies by Saturday morning. By morning, a deepening upper trough forces an area of low pressure to strengthen over the central Plains with precipitation blossoming throughout the central Plains and Midwest. Heavy rainfall and even a few strong thunderstorms are possible over parts of the south-central U.S.. Over an inch of rainfall is forecast for parts of eastern Kansas and northern Missouri. Farther north, wintry precipitation will breakout across the Midwest with snow falling heavily at times Saturday evening. Winter Storm Watches have been posted from eastern Iowa to northern Illinois, northern Indiana, and northwest Ohio. Current forecasts indicate over 8 inches of snow is possible in parts northern Illinois, including the Chicago metro area. Expect poor travel conditions in these areas to linger into the day on Sunday. The axis of heavy snow moves into the Lower Great Lakes by early Sunday morning with snow totals of 4-8 inches possible for northern Indiana and northwest Ohio. The strong frontal system continues its journey east into the Ohio Valley on Sunday causing showers and thunderstorms to breakout across the Southeast. To the north, an area of cold Canadian high pressure has locked in frigid temperatures from the Northeast into the Mid-Atlantic. In fact, Wind Chill Advisories have been issued for parts of the Northeast through Saturday morning as wind chills dip crash to -20 or colder. As deep moisture clashes with the deep column of sub-freezing temperatures, areas of snow and an icy wintry mix will develop over much of the Mid-Atlantic. Current snowfall forecasts through Sunday evening indicate over 6 inches of show is possible in parts of western Virginia and the central Appalachians. Freezing rain will make for slick and hazardous travel conditions for parts of south-central Virginia and western North Carolina Sunday morning. Periods of snow will also engulf much of the I-95 corridor from central Virginia to the DC/Baltimore metro areas. Look for travel conditions to deteriorate throughout the day in the Mid-Atlantic with conditions worsening by Sunday night as a coastal low pressure system starts to intensify overnight. This storm system is likely to produce additional wintry weather over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic into early next week, but there is still some uncertainty regarding the storm's track and its duration. Residents from the Mid-Atlantic to New England should continue to monitor the forecast closely throughout the weekend for the most up-to-date information. In the West, the first of two frontal systems usher in more rounds of coastal/valley rain and mountain snow to the Pacific Northwest tonight. As an upper level ridge of high pressure builds over the Rockies, the frontal structure begins to degrade on Saturday, but Pacific moisture being funneled ahead of the system keeps rain and mountain snow showers in the forecast throughout the day. By Sunday, a new Pacific low pressure system approaches and taps into more Pacific moisture, leading to a heavier batch of showers and mountain snow. In total, rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are anticipated from northern California to western Oregon and Washington. The Olympics, Cascades, and higher elevations of northern California may receive as much as 1 to 2 feet of snow. Mullinax Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php