Posted Tuesday, January 3, 2012 --- 6:45 a.m.

CAMP SPRINGS, Md. (AP) -- The cold front that brought significant lake-effect snows South and East of the Great Lakes on the first two days of the new year is now gone, setting the stage for high pressure to build in. That, in turn, will shut down the lake-effect snow machine for most areas.

At the National Forecast Desk in Camp Springs, Md, forecaster Bruce Sullivan says temperatures in the Eastern and Central U.S. will moderate by the weekend. The only problem will be in the Pacific Northwest, where a big storm moving into British Columbia will spill rain and snow into Washington.

And, the snow cover is confined to the Northern tier of states, reflecting the above normal temperatures of the past month.

Copyright 2012. The Associated Press.