Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 AM EST Thu Feb 06 2025 Valid 12Z Thu Feb 06 2025 - 12Z Sat Feb 08 2025 ...Winter storm to impact the Great Lakes, northern Mid-Atlantic and Northeast with a combination of snow, sleet and freezing rain today... ...Next round of unsettled weather to enter the West today with the threat of heavy rainfall/snows for California before snowfall chances spread across the Northern Rockies and Northern Plains into Saturday... ...Record high temperatures are expected across much of the Southern U.S. over the next few days... A winter storm currently impacting much of the Great Lakes, upper Ohio Valley and northern Mid-Atlantic with light snow and a wintry mix is forecast to continue today while quickly pushing into the Northeast. The primary winter weather hazards are expected to be associated with freezing rain as warm air aloft combined with stubborn cold at the surface leads to an icy morning for many. Precipitation is likely to be coming to an end across the Ohio Valley by sunrise, with freezing rain lingering across the Mid-Atlantic and central Appalachians this morning. Meanwhile, snow is expected to continue across the Great Lakes and shift into much of the Northeast early today. Total ice accretion of up to a half inch is possible across parts of eastern WV, western MD, far northern VA, and into parts of south-central PA. This may lead to scattered power outages and tree damage. Elsewhere, up to a quarter inch of ice is possible just northwest of the I-95 corridor from Washington D.C. to Philadelphia, as well as much of PA, northern OH, northern IN, and southern MI. This amount of ice is capable of making untreated roadways treacherous. The snowfall aspect of this storm will feature light amounts (generally under a couple inches) across the Great Lakes outside of lake-effect snow in the eastern U.P. of Michigan, with 2 to 5 inches expected throughout much of New England. Much of the winter weather is anticipated to quickly end by this evening and be followed by breezy westerly winds as a deepening low pressure system swings across southeast Canada. In fact, strong winds have prompted Blizzard Warnings today across the Keweenaw Peninsula of MI and neighboring counties. The next storm system to enter the West Coast and eventually spread wintry weather elsewhere throughout the Lower 48 is forecast to move onshore later today. Initially, heavy coastal/lower elevation rain is expected across CA with heavy snow likely into the Sierra Nevada, northern CA ranges and southern OR. By Friday, the moderate to heavy snowfall located just north of an associated area of low pressure shifts into the northern Great Basin and northern Rockies. Total snowfall amounts over a foot are expected across the higher terrain, with multiple feet of heavy snow possible in the Sierra Nevada. By early this weekend the snowfall potential enters the Northern Plains, where high probabilities (70-90%) for at least 4 inches of snow stretches east-west from northern ND across central MN, and into central WI. As the system continues to slide eastward on Saturday night, wintry weather will quickly begin to impact much of the Great Lakes, upper Ohio Valley, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. Freezing rain is possible for southern areas similar to where the ongoing ice threat exists today, with heavy snow (over 4 inches) most likely in the Northeast. Be sure to check local forecasts for the latest updated information. While winter storm systems cross the middle and northern U.S., much of the South is forecast to remain quite warm. In fact, some areas could see record breaking warmth continue through this weekend as highs into the 70s and 80s stretch from the Southwest to the Southern Plains and much of the Southeast. Dozens of stations across 13 states between Arizona and North Carolina are currently forecast to break or tie daily high temperature records. Meanwhile, the coldest air over the next few days will be confined to the northern High Plains as highs remain in the single digits and lows dip well below zero. Snell Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php