Heavy snow and blizzard conditions associated with a deep mid-latitude cyclone impacting the Northern/Central Plains and Upper Midwest will come to an end today.
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Additional snowfall accumulations of 2-4 inches are expected across eastern Minnesota by Wednesday morning, when the system is forecast to move into Ontario/southern Canada.
A frigid airmass will continue to spread across the Great Plains today and Wednesday behind a cold front.
Highs will be 15-25 degrees below average for much of the Plains today.
Temperatures will moderate later this week.
Rain showers and scattered to isolated thunderstorm activity are likely east of the Mississippi River today.
Storms will organize along a pair of cold fronts associated with two separate low pressure systems; the Upper Midwest system and the Gulf Coast system.
The Storm Prediction Center issued a Slight Risk of Severe Thunderstorms (level 2/5) for parts of the southern Great Lakes and for portions of the Gulf Coast today.
Damaging wind gusts will be the main threat for both areas, but a brief tornado can't be ruled out over the Gulf Coast.
The Gulf system is forecasted to stall out over the Southeast/Florida panhandle this afternoon/evening leading to potentially heavy rainfall occurring particularly over the Florida panhandle.
Significant moisture return from the Gulf will interact with the slow moving cold front, which will produce an axis of 2-4 inches of rain from northern Florida through the Southeast coast on Wednesday.
A Slight Risk (at least 15%) of Excessive Rainfall leading to Flash Flooding is in effect for parts of north-central Florida into southern Georgia.
A deep low pressure system will bring another round of unsettled weather to the Northwest beginning on Wednesday.
Low elevation rain and mountain snow are expected from this system.
Accumulating snow should remain confined to the higher elevations of the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Northern Rockies.
Some 1-2 inch 24 hour rainfall totals pose a Marginal Risk (at least 5%) of Excessive Rainfall leading to Flash Flooding over parts of the northern California into southern Oregon coastline. ■