Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 317 AM EST Wed Jan 17 2024 Valid 12Z Wed Jan 17 2024 - 12Z 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... ...A return to more typical Winter temperatures for many Wednesday after the brutal cold; another Arctic blast expected late this week... A Pacific storm system responsible for significant freezing rain across the Portland earlier today continues to track toward the Washington coastline, which will taper off freezing rain by this morning while spreading heavy mountain snowfall across the interior Northwest as it migrates inland. Moderate to major potential winter storm impacts can be expected today into Thursday atop the Cascades and Northern Rockies owing to a combination of blowing snows and high snowfall rates exceeding 2" per hour, with a swath of Winter Storm Warnings noted across the region. Unfortunately, little reprieve will occur from the winter weather as another eastern Pacific storm system prompts additional freezing rain across the Willamette Valley and Portland metro, and Columbia basin. By the end of the work week, freezing rain amounts from this "1-2 punch" of storms could hover around an inch for the western Columbia Gorge. East of the Mississippi, 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 by Thursday. Meanwhile, a brief one day reprieve from the frigid air is expected as our stubborn Arctic airmass finally moderates today, 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 temperatures beginning to spread southward across the Northern and Central Plains Thursday, before arriving into the Southern U.S Friday. Although this surge of Arctic air does not look quite as extreme as the first, bitterly cold temperatures are still possible portions the Central Plains this weekend. Asherman/Putnam Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php