Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 353 PM EST Tue Nov 05 2013 Valid 00Z Wed Nov 06 2013 - 00Z Fri Nov 08 2013 ...Light to moderate snow accumulations expected from the Plains into the Upper Midwest tonight... ...Widespread rainfall expected from Texas and the lower Mississippi River Valley into the Great Lakes region, but no widespread flooding issues are expected... The weather across the country is not expected to produce any widespread hazards through at least Thursday with two weather systems to speak of. One system will impact weather from the central United States to the East Coast through the middle of the week, bringing mostly rain, while a second, and more potent disturbance should approach the Pacific Northwest on Thursday. First, a large upper level trough will translate eastward from the Rockies over the next couple of days bringing a shot of accumulating snow to portions of the Upper Midwest tonight while rain falls ahead of the associated cold front, from Texas to the Great Lakes. Locations from northern Nebraska and southeastern South Dakota into northern Wisconsin and the western U.P. of Michigan are expected to accumulate up to six inches of snow through Wednesday morning, with perhaps a bit more across northern locations. Ahead of a steadily moving cold front, moisture will advect north from the Gulf of Mexico which will help to allow widespread moderate rain to fall, mostly from northeastern Texas into the Great Lakes region. For the most part, rainfall intensity should stay below limits that would cause large scale flooding problems. Out West, a small but tightly wound up upper level system should reach the Pacific Northwest on Thursday. An area of low pressure at the surface should quickly intensify as the system approaches the coast, bringing moderate to heavy, orographically enhanced rainfall to the Northwest and snow to the higher elevations of the northern Washington Cascades. Although the low is forecast to weaken as it reaches land, some gusty winds will be possible ahead of the surface low connected to a tight pressure gradient. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php