Several inches of snow was forecast for the Great Lakes region and parts of the Northeast on Friday, while lesser amounts were expected in New England, the mid-Atlantic and the northern Plains.

Lake-effect snow watches and warnings were issued for Michigan, the Ohio Valley, Pennsylvania and New York. Most the mid-Atlantic was expected to receive an inch or two of snow, though 4 inches were predicted in parts of West Virginia, Virginia and western North Carolina. Scattered flurriers were possible in New England.

One to 2 inches of snow and gusty winds were forecast for the northern Plains. The rest of the Plains were expected to be cold and dry, with temperatures reaching the 30s and 40s and cold air extending as far south as Texas.

The Southwest was also predicted to be dry. Rain was forecast for the Northwest.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday ranged from a low of minus 7 degrees at Mount Washington, N.H., to a high of 87 degrees at Imperial, Calif.