Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 324 AM EST Tue Mar 09 2021 Valid 12Z Tue Mar 09 2021 - 12Z Thu Mar 11 2021 ...Record high temperatures possible Tuesday across portions of the Northern and Central Plains into the Upper Mississippi Valley... ...Much above-average temperatures likely Tuesday and Wednesday across much of the central and eastern U.S.... ...Much needed precipitation on tap along the West Coast from Oregon into California... ...Heavy snows likely Tuesday night into early Wednesday across portions of the Central Rockies into portions of the Northern High Plains... A front extending from the Northern Plains southwestward to the Great Basin will slowly move eastward to the Upper Great Lakes roughly southwestward to the Southern High Plains by Thursday. The system will produce snow over parts of the Northern Intermountain Region into parts of the Northern Rockies/Great Basin on Tuesday. Moisture from the Western Gulf of Mexico will start to stream northward over the Plains to the Upper Midwest, intersecting the boundary and producing rain and thunderstorms over parts of the Upper Great Lakes into the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley on Wednesday morning. By Wednesday evening, the rain will continue over the Upper Great Lakes/Middle Mississippi Valley. Furthermore, the associated surface low will draw cold air southward over the Upper Mississippi Valley as the rain changes over to snow. Along the rain/snow line, areas of freezing rain will develop. By Thursday morning, rain and snow will continue over parts of the Upper Midwest. Showers and thunderstorms will develop along the front from the Ohio Valley southwestward into the Lower Mississippi Valley/Southern Plains. Meanwhile, on Tuesday, upper-level energy will move onshore over the West Coast, advancing to the Upper Midwest by Wednesday evening. Coastal rain and higher elevation snow will spread inland over the West Coast by Tuesday evening. Overnight Tuesday, snow will develop over parts of the Northern/Central Rockies and emerge onto parts of the Northern/Central Plains. On Wednesday, more upper-level energy will move onshore over the West Coast that will allow the mountain snow and lower elevation rain to pick-up over the West Coast into the Great Basin into the Northern/Central Rockies. Additionally, snow and rain will move into parts of the Southwest late Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. By Thursday morning, the rain and snow over the West Coast will start to wane. Snowfall totals of 1 to 2 feet are expected over the Sierra Nevada into the Northwest California coastal mountains. Moreover, ahead of the front, spring-like temperatures are expected across much of the central to the eastern U.S. on Tuesday into Wednesday. Temperatures across these regions will be much above average, with highs in the 60s and 70s across many areas. The greatest departures from average expected over portions of the Central to Northern Plains into the Upper Mississippi Valley, where high temperatures are expected to be 30 to 40 degrees above average. Across these areas, there is the potential for record high minimum temperatures Tuesday morning and record high maximum temperatures Tuesday afternoon. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php