Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 254 AM EST Wed Feb 09 2022 Valid 12Z Wed Feb 09 2022 - 12Z Fri Feb 11 2022 ...Early taste of spring across most of the continental U.S.; record warmth in California; colder temperatures return to the Great Lakes on Thursday... ...First in a pair of storm systems to produce snow showers throughout the Great Lakes today and Wednesday night... ...Heavier snowfall to come with the second storm system on Thursday across the Upper Midwest... A strong dome of upper level high pressure over the western third of the country and a lack of a frigid Canadian air-mass will provide much of the Lower 48 with an early taste of spring today. Daytime highs are forecast to reach the 60s in parts of the Heartland while more March-like temperatures arrive in the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast. The most anomalous warmth over the next couple days is set to occur in the northern High Plains and along the West Coast. The former will be warmest on Thursday when daily temperature departures range between 15 to 25 degrees above normal from Montana and northern Wyoming to the Dakotas. Meanwhile, this will be a daily occurrence on the West Coast and more specifically California. Daytime highs in parts of Southern California will be in the low-mid 80s today, then warm even more on Thursday with highs near 90 degrees possible. Due to the unusually hot temperatures for early February, Heat Advisories have been issued for the greater Los Angeles metro area through the end of the week. Numerous record highs could be broken not just in Southern California, but along the coast and throughout the San Joaquin and Sacramento Valleys on Thursday. In terms of areas with cooler than normal temperatures, Florida can expect seasonally cool temperatures but the next surge of colder temperatures arrives in the Great Lakes on Thursday. Speaking of the Great Lakes, this is the region set to witness the most unsettled weather through early Friday morning. The first of two storm systems is set to track through today but does not contain much moisture. This will result in scattered rain and snow showers as it tracks through the region today and into Wednesday night. The cold air spilling in behind the storm will trigger some areas of lake effect snow showers in most notably in Michigan's U.P. and in the western portion of the state Wednesday night. Some snow showers may also bring light accumulations to the interior Northeast on Thursday as the storm passes through. Meanwhile, the second and more potent wave of low pressure is hot on its heels, racing into the Upper Midwest the second half of the day Thursday. Periods of snow will blanket parts of northern Minnesota, northern Wisconsin, and northern Michigan in as much as 3 to 6 inches of snowfall. The trailing cold front and upper level disturbance tracking south through Montana delivers snow to parts of the northern Rockies and High Plains Thursday night and into Friday. Elsewhere, a trailing frontal boundary is responsible for numerous showers tracking through South Florida this morning. Drier conditions are expected to return Wednesday afternoon as high pressure builds in from the Gulf of Mexico. Mullinax Graphics are available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php