Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 AM EDT Thu Apr 07 2016 Valid 12Z Thu Apr 07 2016 - 12Z Sat Apr 09 2016 ...Heavy rain possible for much of New England, with high winds possible for coastal Maine... ...Another round of cold temperatures headed for the eastern half of the U.S... ...Showers and thunderstorms will increase across the southwestern U.S. today into Friday... A low pressure system will move across the eastern U.S. today, bringing rain and some areas of thunderstorms to much of the East Coast. Lingering cold air in place this morning across northern New England may result in a mix of rain and snow, but this will quickly change to all rain by early afternoon as the strengthening low pressure system pulls warmer air north into New England. Heavy rain will be possible across portions of New England, where 1 to 2 inches of rainfall are forecast to be fairly widespread. Flood watches have been issued for portions of Maine, where 2 to 3 inches of rain are possible for some areas. Additionally, the strengthening low pressure system may produce wind gusts 60 mph across portions of the Down East Maine coast late Thursday into Thursday night, especially across the outer islands and higher terrain. The low pressure system will move north away from New England on Friday as it deepens further across Quebec. In its wake, a cold air mass will spread into the central and eastern U.S. High temperatures on Friday and Saturday are forecast to be 10 to 20 degrees below average across much of the Midwest, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. Across the West, moisture will gradually increase today as an upper-level low spins over the eastern Pacific. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible this afternoon into tonight across portions of the Southwest. Showers and thunderstorms will become more widespread by Friday morning across the Southwest as the upper-level low drifts east into the region, and another upper-level low develops over the same area as the first. Additionally, by Friday night, a weak Pacific cold front will move into the northwestern U.S., which will further expand the coverage of scattered showers (and snow showers at high elevations) across the West by Saturday. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php