Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 403 AM EDT Sat Apr 05 2014 Valid 12Z Sat Apr 05 2014 - 12Z Mon Apr 07 2014 ...Heavy rain and severe weather likely to pose a threat to much of the Gulf Coast states late in the weekend... ...Rain and snow showers will continue to spread across the Northwestern U.S., the Rockies, and into the Plains... The deep low pressure system in Southeastern Canada this morning is slowly beginning to weaken as it makes its way farther Northeast. A secondary low along the front, not expected to be as strong as the main low, has formed along the Northeast coast of the U.S.. This new low, with its associated front, will rapidly move along coastal New England this morning. A few rain or snow showers early on Saturday across New England cannot be ruled out as this system moves through, however most of the more organized snows should remain confined to Northern Maine and the Canadian Maritimes. The southern portion of the above mentioned front is expected to stall and eventually begin moving slowly northward as a warm front towards the Gulf Coast states. Scattered rain and thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast this morning will spread into the Southeast, Lower Mississippi Valley, and parts of the Plains states throughout the weekend. Heavy rainfall, with the potential for flash flooding, is forecast to develop along the Gulf Coast by Sunday afternoon as upper level energy approaches from the west and an area of low pressure is initiated at the surface along the boundary. Severe weather is also possible in this area on Sunday, but please refer to the Storm Prediction Center for more details on this threat. Out west, a series of weak systems off the Pacific will continue to impact the Northwestern corner of the country and move over the higher terrain spreading rain and snow showers across the Intermountain west and Rockies Saturday into Sunday. By Sunday afternoon, as some of the upper level energy begins to interact with the system along the Gulf, a few scattered rain showers could break out across the Central/Southern Plains as well. Monarski Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php