Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 224 AM EST Sun Feb 21 2021 Valid 12Z Sun Feb 21 2021 - 12Z Tue Feb 23 2021 ...Light snow from parts of the Midwest to the Northeast and Central Appalachians through Monday... ...Heavy snow for Northwest mountains... ...Temperatures to moderate across the central U.S.... A deep area of upper-level energy will traverse the central CONUS through the beginning of the week. This amplified trough will help develop and propagate an area of low pressure north and eastward across the Upper Midwest today and into the Northeast by Monday. Light with locally moderate snowfall will spread from the Upper Midwest, across the Great Lakes and into the Northeast during this period. An area of 2-4 inches of snow is likely for much of the Upper Midwest with locally higher amounts possible in Iowa today. The Central Appalachians and interior Northeast will also see a general area of 2-4 inches while locally heavier amounts are expected for areas downwind of the Lower Great Lakes tonight and into tomorrow. Some light freeing rain may develop across much of the Central Appalachians this evening. Rain showers will spread across the Middle/Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, Southeast and Mid-Atlantic through Monday evening. Some areas of scattered to isolated thunderstorms may develop along the Carolina and Southeast coast on Monday night. Persistent troughing and the emergence of another upper-level disturbance will be the driving mechanisms for the potential of heavy snow in the Cascades and Northern Rockies over the next couple of days. Around a foot of snow is likely to fall over parts of the Northern Rockies while multiple feet of snow are expected over parts of the northern Cascades during this period. There's the potential for heavy rain to impact the Pacific Northwest coast in the meantime. High temperatures are expected to rise well above normal over parts of the Northern Plains today and Monday, while highs in the 40s, 50s and 60s will return to the rest of the Plains and Midwest. Kebede Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php