Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 258 AM EDT Thu May 22 2014 Valid 12Z Thu May 22 2014 - 12Z Sat May 24 2014 ...Severe thunderstorms possible today in western Texas and along a frontal boundary from the southern Plains to the Mid-Atlantic... ...Much needed precipitation for some of the drought stricken regions of the southern and central Plains... A cold front moving through the eastern Great Lakes and into the Ohio river valley will once again act as a trigger for showers and thunderstorms today. Once are should focus in New England and the northern Mid-Atlantic where SPC has highlighted the chance for severe storms. A second area in the Tennessee valley along the stationary portion of the frontal boundary also has a chance for thunderstorms which may be severe. Continuing west along the stationary front, Colorado and western Texas may once again be under the gun for severe weather as the boundary refuses to move. A silver lining will be the fact that the precipitation is needed to ease the drought conditions. In the west, precipitation should blossom in the afternoon and wane in the overnight hours as the cold upper level low slowly eases through southeastern California into Arizona by Friday. This should support precipitation over New Mexico as well, which has suffered from the ongoing drought. A cold front in the northeastern Pacific Ocean will move toward the Washington coast by early Friday, increasing the chance for rain. This should move through the northern Rockies later in the day. Warm temperatures in the northwestern states--about 10-15 degrees above average--will cool behind the front. Fracasso Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php