Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 240 AM EST Wed Feb 28 2024 Valid 12Z Wed Feb 28 2024 - 12Z Fri Mar 01 2024 ...Heavy snow over parts of the Cascades, the Northern Intermountain Region, Northern California, and Sierra Nevada Mountains... ...Light to moderate snow over the Great Lakes, Central Appalachians, and Northeast... ...Temperatures will be 10 to 25 degrees above average over parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic... A second winter storm will impact the West Coast on Wednesday and Thursday. The second significant winter storm will primarily affect the Northwest Wednesday and Thursday before significantly impacting the Northern and Central California mountains Friday. The storm will create heavy mountain snow that will affect many passes. Multiple feet of snow are likely (over 80% chance) for higher elevations, significantly above 5000 feet, including many Cascade and Sierra Nevada Mountains passes. Extremely heavy snow rates surpassing 3 inches per hour are possible in these mountain ranges. Furthermore, the storm will produce blizzard conditions in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. In detail, strong winds will cause significant blowing and drifting snow, with whiteout conditions, making travel impossible in the Sierra Nevada Mountains. There is a high chance (over 70%) of substantial, long-lasting disruptions to daily life in the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada Mountains Friday, where blizzard conditions and over 5 feet of snow are expected. Moreover, in addition to the snow, coastal rain will develop over parts of the Pacific Northwest Wednesday into Friday. Coastal rain will develop over parts of Northern California overnight Wednesday, continuing into Friday. The rain moves into Central California on Thursday, continuing into Friday, and parts of Southern California by Friday morning. Meanwhile, on Wednesday, a deep low over the Upper Great Lakes will move northeastward into Eastern Canada by Wednesday evening. The associated front will move off the East and Gulf Coast by Thursday morning. Ahead of the front, southerly wind will bring warm temperatures of 10 to 25 degrees above average over parts of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic. On Wednesday, the boundary will create showers and thunderstorms from the Central Gulf Coast to the Northeast. In the wake of the front, moderate to heavy snow will develop over the Great Lakes into the Northeast, with light to moderate snow over the Central Appalachians on Wednesday. In addition, on Thursday, lake-effect snow will develop downwind from the Great Lakes, ending by Thursday night. Elsewhere, upper-level energy moving into the Southwest and Southern Rockies will produce scattered showers, thunderstorms, and higher-elevation snow from Wednesday afternoon into Thursday. Overnight Thursday, showers and thunderstorms will develop over parts of the Southern Plains, moving into the Lower Mississippi, Tennessee, and Southern Ohio Valleys and parts of the Southeast. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php