Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 423 AM EDT Tue Oct 22 2013 Valid 12Z Tue Oct 22 2013 - 12Z Thu Oct 24 2013 ***Ridging in the West and trough in the East continues*** ***Unseasonably cool from the Great Lakes to the East Coast*** ***Scattered showers and storms for Florida*** With an amplified upper air pattern over the continental United States, a large scale ridge is expected over the Inter-Mountain West and West Coast, and a trough over the Eastern U.S. This will generally equate to relatively warm and dry weather west of the Rocky Mountains, and the coolest weather of the fall season for the Midwest states to the East Coast. Periods of rain and snow showers are expected for locations near the Great Lakes during the next few days, and some minor accumulations will be possible during the overnight hours for northern Michigan and near Lake Superior. Widespread frost and freeze conditions are likely by the middle of the week as lows reach the upper 20s to upper 30s from the Midwest states to the Mid-Atlantic region. Across the southern tier, a frontal boundary currently stalled out over Florida and back into the Gulf of Mexico will serve as a focusing mechanism for showers and thunderstorms through Wednesday. By Thursday morning, the cold front should pass through Florida and take most of the rain along with it. This will allow for a fresh and cooler airmass for all of the Southeast states. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php