Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 224 AM EST Fri Feb 18 2022 Valid 12Z Fri Feb 18 2022 - 12Z Sun Feb 20 2022 ...A strong winter storm will impact the Great Lakes and Northeast on Friday... ...Moderate snow for Midwest on Friday... ...Pockets of rain/freezing rain from parts of the Ohio Valley to the Northeast on Friday... A front extending from the Lower Great Lakes/Northeast southwestward to the Central Gulf Coast will move eastward off the East Coast by Friday evening. The system will produce showers and thunderstorms over the Central Gulf Coast to rain along most of the East Coast to snow and rain/freezing rain from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast. On Friday, the strong winter storm will impact the Great Lakes to Northern New England, producing wintry hazards of moderate to heavy snow, sleet, and freezing rain. A swath of moderate snow is expected across far northern New York and northern Maine by Friday morning, with the highest snowfall totals likely just north of the Canadian border. The combination of wet snow and strong, gusty winds will lead to reduced visibility and hazardous travel conditions, particularly for untreated roads. A corridor of light freezing rain and sleet are likely just to the south of the heavy snow axis, with more than 0.1 inches of freezing rain likely for portions of northern New York. Some impacts to travel and power are possible in these areas. Temperatures are expected to drop quickly behind the front. Any untreated wet surfaces could freeze quickly. The rain and snow will end over the Northeast by Friday evening and over the Mid-Atlantic/Southeast later Friday night. High wind will be associated with the low moving across the Northeast as High Wind Warnings and Wind Advisories are posted from the Northeast to the Mid-Atlantic through mid-morning on Friday. Meanwhile, a fast-moving area of low pressure over Western Canada will move into the Upper Great Lakes by Friday evening and into Northern New England by Saturday evening. The system will produce light to moderate snow over the Upper Midwest into the Upper Great Lakes on Friday morning into Friday evening. Along and behind this front, narrow bands of snow squalls are likely to move rapidly from northwest to southeast. These bands will be accompanied by heavy snowfall rates of 1â€/hr or more, gusty winds which may exceed 50 mph and extremely limited visibility. This heavy snow and wind combination will likely create dangerous travel and slippery roads and may impact the evening rush hour around Duluth, Minneapolis, and Green Bay. In addition, temperatures are likely to crash rapidly behind the front leading to a rapid refreeze of wet roadways. This front and accompanying intense snow squalls may spread across Lower Michigan Friday night and into parts of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and New England on Saturday. In addition, Blizzard Warnings are up over parts of the Upper Mississippi Valley through 6 Pm local time on Friday. Light snow will also develop over parts of the Northern Rockies and Northern High Plains ending by Friday evening. Overnight Friday, the low will cross Ontario, Canada, crossing into the Northeast on Saturday afternoon. The system will produce light snow over parts of the Northeast into the Central Appalachians on Saturday. The snow will end over the Northeast by Sunday morning. Furthermore, another area of low pressure will move along the U. S./Canadian border on Saturday evening into Sunday morning. As a result, light snow will develop along the border from Saturday evening into Sunday morning. Additionally, a weak front will move into the Pacific Northwest also on Saturday evening into Sunday morning. The system will produce coastal rain and higher elevation snow from late Saturday afternoon into Sunday. Ziegenfelder Graphics are available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php