Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 438 PM EDT Thu Oct 17 2013 Valid 00Z Fri Oct 18 2013 - 00Z Sun Oct 20 2013 ...Light to moderate snow accumulations possible tonight for the Colorado/Wyoming Front Range... ...Locally heavy rain possible over the West-Central Gulf Coast Friday night into Saturday... The upper level pattern will feature broad troughing for the eastern 2/3 of the nation, while the West remains under the influence of ridging. There are no major weather systems on tap, but the pattern will remain rather unsettled east of the Rockies. As an upper level disturbance continues dropping down from Montana, it is expected to swing across Colorado and Wyoming tonight while temperatures fall to levels cold enough to support snow. The system will be a quick mover, but periods of heavy snow will be possible on a localized basis. Accumulations from southeastern Wyoming into northeastern Colorado should generally stay light, but still significant given the early nature of the cool season. Repeated surges of colder air are forecast to drop into the northern and central U.S. over the next few days, with the air modifying some as it translates eastward. Rainfall totals will remain mostly light, with some local enhancement expected downwind of the Great Lakes due to cold air aloft moving across the relative warmth of the lakes. Across the South, a quasi-stationary front will remain near the central and western Gulf Coast into the weekend, which will keep the warm and humid air confined to locations to its south. There are indications that as low level flow returns from the south, ahead of the upper wave impacting the central Plains, heavy rain will develop just north of the front along the Gulf Coast. The expected time frame is from Friday night into Saturday morning where a broad 1 to 2 inches is expected from southeast Texas toward the panhandle of Florida. By Saturday morning, the front should drop back south into the Gulf as a cold front, ending the rain from northwest to southeast. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php