Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 250 AM EST Tue Dec 31 2024 Valid 12Z Tue Dec 31 2024 - 12Z Thu Jan 02 2025 ...Cooling trend spreads from West to East this week.... ...Fire Weather concerns for portions of southern California and Texas through mid-week... Systems moving by the northern Intermountain West bring the promise of snowy periods in and near western Montana, Idaho, and Wyoming through Wednesday. The first of those systems moves out into the Midwest, Ohio Valley, and Northeast, bringing rain and thunderstorms near and to the cyclone's east, with thunderstorms most likely across portions of the Eastern Shore and New Jersey on the afternoon and early evening of New Year's Eve. As the cyclone moves through the Northeast on Wednesday, both Lake Effect and Lake Enhanced snows will spread through the Great Lakes and into the northern and central Appalachians. Between 6-12 inches of snow are forecast to accumulate downwind of the Lower Great Lakes by Thursday morning. Some mixed precipitation is expected across central New England. A system arriving from the Great Plains will promote snow showers for the broader Great Lakes region on Tuesday. A cooling trend started in the West expands east through the rest of the country over the next couple of days. Building high pressure across the Great Basin is expected to increase winds across southern California over the next couple of days, promoting an increased fire weather risk which could become critical through mid-week. Wind advisories, a red flag warning, and a fire weather watch have all been posted for the area as well for parts of south-central Texas through Tuesday. Kebede/Roth Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php