Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 320 PM EST Fri Jan 07 2022 Valid 00Z Sat Jan 08 2022 - 00Z Mon Jan 10 2022 ...Lingering heavy snowfall over New England as quick hitting Nor'easter exits to the northeast... ...Moderate to heavy mountain snow and gusty winds to impact the Northern Rockies to end the workweek... ...Dangerously cold temperatures located throughout the Northern Plains and Midwest to briefly retreat on Saturday, before the next surge of Arctic air enters the region on Sunday... A rapidly deepening low pressure system approaching Nova Scotia continues to produce moderate to locally heavy snowfall over portions of eastern New England. After impacting the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast earlier today, additional hazardous conditions remain possible over portions of the eastern Maine coast through tonight, where the snowfall should exit last. An additional 2-3 inches of snowfall in addition to gusty winds could produce minor to locally moderate winter storm impacts along eastern Maine coast, per the WPC Winter Storm Severity Index (WSSI). As cold air settles in behind the front, cold and blustery conditions are expected throughout the Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. With the Great Lakes still mostly free of ice, scattered lake effect snow bands will persist through tomorrow downwind of Lake Erie and Ontario, where Lake Effect Snow Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect until tomorrow morning. High pressure settling in overhead should put a temporary lid on the lake-effect snow machine until later this weekend, when the next frontal system blows through. Meanwhile after a stretch of very active and wintry weather across the Northwest, Pacific moisture entering the Northern Rockies/Great Basin will shift the heavy snow threat into the Northern Rockies through tomorrow morning. Snow accumulations up to five inches (with higher amounts up to a foot in the terrain) remain possible through tomorrow morning along and east of the Northern Rockies. Additionally, as a cold front traverses the region, gusty winds up to 60 mph are expected throughout the Northwest, Northern Great Basin, and Northern Rockies today. These potent wind gusts could lead to blowing and drifting snow over parts of northwestern Montana, where Blizzard Warnings are in effect. Otherwise, some relief from the bitter cold is expected over the Midwest. As a strong area of high pressure slides to the East Coast on Saturday, it will usher in warm southerly winds to the Central U.S. on Saturday. This will help return temperatures to slightly above average. However, this brief warm up will be short-lived as another arctic cold front surges southward across the Northern Plains Saturday afternoon and enters the Midwest by Sunday morning. Light rain showers and pockets of freezing rain/drizzle are possible along and ahead of this cold front. The best chances for light freezing rain exist from the Mid-Mississippi Valley and Midwest on Saturday to the northern Mid-Atlantic/Northeast by Sunday morning. Farther south, the aforementioned cold front may spark scattered thunderstorms over the Lower Mississippi Valley as it clashes with a warm and moist airmass flowing out of the Gulf of Mexico. A few thunderstorms could turn severe over Texas and Arkansas, with isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts the main concern. A few areas of heavy rain may also produce isolated flooding concerns throughout the Mid-South/Tennessee Valley on Saturday as precipitation falls over areas that have already experienced a wet start to the year. Asherman/Snell Graphics are available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php