Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 257 AM EDT Thu May 15 2014 Valid 12Z Thu May 15 2014 - 12Z Sat May 17 2014 ***Rain and thunderstorms for the Eastern U.S.*** ***Pleasantly cool with some showers over the Central U.S.*** ***Hot and dry weather for the West Coast on Thursday*** A slow moving cold front over the eastern U.S. will be the main weather story across the country through the end of the work week. This front will intersect a warm and increasingly humid airmass from the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic Ocean, and deep moisture convergence ahead of this boundary is expected to result in a band of moderate to heavy rain from Florida to Upstate New York by Friday morning. Although the severe potential has decreased from a couple days ago, there may still be a few strong to locally severe thunderstorms ahead of this system. The main threat will be flooding as heavy rain falls over relatively short periods of time, and flash flood watches are in effect from the Florida Panhandle to western New York state. Over the Midwest and Great Plains, a quality air mass in terms of temperatures will be enjoyed in the wake of the departing storm system over the East Coast. Pleasantly cool temperatures by mid-May standards and low humidity will make it comfortable for outside activities. Some weak shortwave energy aloft moving out of South-Central Canada to the Northern Plains on Thursday afternoon into Friday may be enough to cause isolated to scattered showers over the western High Plains. Some additional showers are possible over parts of the Central Plains and Midwest, but these will not be nearly as heavy as what happened earlier this week. For the West Coast, another day of hot and dry weather is expected for Thursday before a cooling trend in time for the weekend. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php