The Nations Weather - ABC News Weather Underground Forecast for Thursday, March 01, 2012. The strong storm system over the Great Lakes will weaken as it treks eastward across the Northeast and meets high pressure over southeastern Canada on Thursday. Despite weakening, areas of rain and a wintry mix of precipitation are anticipated over the Northeast as the cold storm pushes through the region. Precipitation in New England will become enhanced by a secondary low located off the southern New England coast. Snow accumulations of 6 to 10 inches with locally higher amounts area expected in central New England through Thursday, while snow accumulations of 4 to 8 inches are anticipated in northern New England. Precipitation will wind down by Thursday night as this system moves into the Atlantic. Meanwhile to the south, rain and thunderstorms will continue from the Mid-Atlantic through parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley as this system¼'s associated cold front treks toward the Coast on Thursday. The western end of the front will turn into a warm front by Thursday night and will create chances of severe weather in portions of the Tennessee Valley and the Lower Mississippi Valley with large hail and damaging wind gusts. In the West, unsettled weather will remain over the the West through the end of the work-week as a trough of low pressure pushes through the region. Precipitation in the Pacific Northwest and parts of northern California will decrease Thursday as the trough and system move eastward. Snow accumulations of up to 2 feet are expected across the Sierra Nevadas, Shasta Mountains, and Oregon Cascades will be quite high by Friday morning. Meanwhile, snow will continue in the mountains of the Intermountain West with scattered snow showers over the valleys on Thursday. Impulses associated with this trough will eject into the Central Plains and organize by Thursday night. Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Wednesday have ranged from a morning low of -11 degrees at Pinedale, Wyo. to a high of 88 degrees at McAllen, Texas