Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 314 AM EDT Thu Oct 02 2014 Valid 12Z Thu Oct 02 2014 - 12Z Sat Oct 04 2014 ...Heavy rain and a slight risk of severe weather is possible over the Mississippi Valley into the Ohio Valley as a storm system develops over the Middle of the country... ...Much cooler and windy weather is expected to move from the northern Rockies across the Northern Plains toward the Midwest... An area of one or more low pressure systems is expected to develop and intensify as it moves from the Southern Plains northeastward toward the Mid Mississippi Valley and Midwest. Moderate to heavy rain and embedded thunderstorms are expected to occur with this storm system and affect the Mississippi Valley as an associated cold front moves eastward. As low pressure intensifies over the Midwest across the Great Lakes and southern Canada, the heaviest rains will move northwest into western Ontario where a change to snow is expected. However, as a strong cold front sweeps eastward, showers and thunderstorms will move eastward across much of the East Coast on Friday into early Saturday. A mass of much cooler air will begin to sweep south and eastward from the Northern Rockies starting on early Thursday and will continue south and eastward into much of the Northern and Central Plains by early Friday. Mostly light snow is expected to accompany this early season cold outbreak from Montana into the mountains of Wyoming. This chilly air mass will begin to follow the intensifying storm system and associated cold front moving from the Midwest toward the East Coast on Friday into early Saturday, bringing windy weather and quite cool temperatures into the Ohio Valley and Appalachians by early Friday. Cool weather will cover much of the East Coast into early Sunday as the cold front even sweeps southward across much of Florida. Kocin Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php