Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 252 PM EST Tue Jan 16 2024 Valid 00Z Wed Jan 17 2024 - 00Z Fri Jan 19 2024 ...Heavy mountain snows for the Northwest/Rockies; ice storm for portions of the Pacific Northwest... ...Bands of heavy lake-effect snow continue for the Great Lakes as snow tapers off in the Northeast... ...A return to more typical Winter temperatures for many Wednesday after the brutal cold; another Arctic blast expected late this week... Impactful winter weather will continue for the Northwest as a back-to-back series of Pacific storm systems brings additional rounds of moisture into the region with a stubbornly cold airmass in place. Precipitation chances will increase across the Pacific Northwest Tuesday evening and spread further inland into the Northern Great Basin and Northern/Central Rockies Wednesday. The heaviest snows are expected in the Cascades, Northern Rockies, Wasatch, and portions of the Central Rockies in Colorado, where storm total snowfall over a foot is likely and rates may exceed 2" per hour at times. The approaching storm systems as well as a lingering frontal boundary will bring some heavy snows to areas of the Northern High Plains east of the Rockies as well, particularly for Montana where totals of around 6-8", locally higher, are expected. Inland lower elevation/valley locations of the Great Basin and Rockies will see lower amounts, with some accumulations of around 2-4" possible. In addition, significant icing is expected for portions of northwestern Oregon and southwestern Washington, centered on the Willamette and Columbia River Valleys. Ice accretions generally between 0.25-0.5" are forecast, with tree damage and power outages likely. Coastal areas will see moderate to locally heavy rainfall, with an isolated threat of some flooding. Precipitation chances for most of the region should trend down through the day Thursday into Thursday night, with the exception of the Pacific Northwest where the influx of Pacific moisture will continue. The low pressure system responsible for the first snowfall of the year (if not longer) for many in the Mid-Atlantic Tuesday will continue to bring snowfall to portions of New England through Tuesday night. Additional snow totals should generally range between 1-3", except for central and northern Maine where heavier totals upwards of 6-12" are expected. Snow chances will continue to the west for the Great Lakes where cold, northwesterly flow will bring bands of heavy lake-effect snow, particularly downwind of Lakes Erie and Ontario. Lake-effect Snow Warnings are in place for totals between 1-3 feet through Thursday night. Another system should bring a renewed round of at least some light snow chances to the Midwest Thursday. Temperatures remain frigid Tuesday across much of the central/eastern U.S. Widespread Wind Chill Warnings are in place through Wednesday morning for much of the Midwest and South as wind chills will plummet below 0 once again. A broad area of Hard Freeze Warnings are also in place for portions of the South, particularly along the Gulf Coast, where Wednesday morning lows in the teens bring much higher chances of damage to sensitive vegetation and water pipes. A brief reprieve from the frigid air is expected as the airmass moderates Wednesday, bringing temperatures back closer to Winter-time averages. A true warm up is in store for southern Texas and eastward along the Gulf Coast where highs will return to the 60s and 70s Thursday. Unfortunately, another Arctic Blast is expected to quickly follow this one, with much below average, frigid temperatures beginning to spread southward across the Northern and Central Plains Thursday. Putnam Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php