Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 232 PM EST Sat Feb 01 2014 Valid 00Z Sun Feb 02 2014 - 00Z Tue Feb 04 2014 ...Heavy rain possible for the Lower Mississippi Valley, Tennessee Valley, and Mid-Atlantic regions Sunday and Monday... ...Rain showers possible for coastal California, while snow showers return for the Intermountain West.... A surface front extending from the Lower Great Lakes to the Southern Plains will continue to push very slowly east and southward through the forecast period. Moisture streaming up from the Gulf of Mexico will support precipitation this evening and tomorrow morning from the Southern Plains to New England. The heaviest of this overnight tonight will focus along and just behind the front from the Mid-Mississippi Valley to the Lower Great Lakes. Most of the precipitation should be in the form of rain with the exception of the northern fringe of this band where some accumulating snow could be possible. By Sunday morning, more steady precipitation begins to break out across the Southern Plains where some mixing of snow or freezing rain is possible in Northern Texas as colder air filters in behind the front. Heavy rain will begin for the Lower Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley by the afternoon hours, with some accumulating sleet or freezing rain possible especially across central Arkansas... and by Monday morning, the heavy rain moves into the Mid-Atlantic region. Behind the front, much colder air moves in and temperatures could be as much as 10 to 20 degrees below normal for much of the Central/Southern Plains and the Midwest. Meanwhile, a weak front just off the Southeast coast will keep showers or thundershowers in the forecast on Sunday. By Sunday afternoon, this boundary weakens and only lingering showers are left for Coastal and Southern Florida. Out west, weak energy across the Rockies could produce some light snow showers over the mountains during the overnight hours Saturday and into Sunday morning. Additionally, upper level energy dropping Southwest along the west coast should aid in the development of showers across coastal California, and onshore flow from the North Pacific should bring light snow showers back to the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West. Monarski Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php