Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
227 PM EST Fri Feb 17 2023

Valid 00Z Sat Feb 18 2023 - 00Z Mon Feb 20 2023

...Locally heavy snow to spread across the high terrain of the Northern
Rockies and Northwest...

The most notable precipitation forecast across the Nation through this
weekend is expected to occur over the Pacific Northwest and Northern
Rockies in the form of potentially heavy mountain snow. Northwesterly flow
aloft around an eastern Pacific upper-level ridge will allow for waves of
of moisture to enter the region. Snow is expected to be heaviest across
the higher terrain and gradually add up to over a foot by the end of the
weekend. Lower elevations across Idaho and western Montana may also
experience lighter snowfall amounts.

Elsewhere, a much colder airmass has entered the eastern third of the
Nation today behind a potent cold front. Lingering snow showers are not
out of the question across southern New England this evening as
subfreezing air surges southeastward. Lake effect snow showers are also
expected to linger into early Saturday, along with upslope snow throughout
the central Appalachians. Farther south, scattered showers along the cold
front are forecast to swing southward across the Florida Peninsula into
Saturday. Easterly flow will continue across the Sunshine State this
weekend and allow for isolated shower chances. Lastly, in terms of
precipitation, light snow may traverse the northern Plains and Upper
Midwest on Sunday, while shower chances enter Arizona and New Mexico ahead
of a churning upper-level low.

Temperatures this weekend are not anticipated to be widely anomalous
compared to climatological averages. Below average temperatures are
forecast across the southern tier on Saturday underneath a modest high
pressure system. Above average temperatures then become more widespread on
Sunday (outside the Rockies and Intermountain West).

Snell

Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php