Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 357 PM EDT Wed Oct 02 2013 Valid 00Z Thu Oct 03 2013 - 00Z Sat Oct 05 2013 ...Heavy rain possible over parts of the Middle Missouri/Upper Mississippi Valleys... ...Heavy snow possible over parts of the Northern/Central Rockies... ...Temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees above average from the Ohio Valley/Middle Mississippi Valley to the Southern High Plains... ...Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees below average from the Northern High Plains to the Great Basin... Moisture flowing northward from the Gulf of Mexico will intersect a quasi-stationary front extending from the Mid-Atlantic westward to the Great Basin from the Plains to the Ohio Valley. A wave of low pressure along the boundary will aid in triggering showers and thunderstorms over parts of the Central Plains to the Upper Mississippi Valley that will expand eastward along the front to the Ohio Valley/Great Lakes by Thursday morning. The showers and thunderstorms will extend from the Upper Mississippi Valley to the Lower Great Lakes/Northeast by Friday morning. Meanwhile along the western end of the boundary, a deepening upper-level trough will form a closed upper-level low over the Great Basin/Rockies by Friday. The system will produce snow over parts of the Northern Rockies with rain at lower elevations through Thursday morning. As the upper-level trough deepens, the snow levels will decrease and the intensity increases producing moderate to heavy snow over parts of the Northern/Central Rockies Thursday evening into Friday. Light to moderate rain will also develop over parts of the Northern/Central High Plains on Thursday, becoming moderate to heavy rain moving into parts of the Northern/Central Plains by Friday morning. Additionally, onshore flow will produce light rain over parts of the Pacific Northwest ending early Thursday morning. Elsewhere, the moisture moving northward out of the Gulf of Mexico will aid in producing showers and thunderstorms over parts of the Central Gulf Coast. In addition, easterly flow off the Atlantic will aid in producing showers and thunderstorms over the southern tip of Florida. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php