Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 445 PM EDT Tue Sep 16 2014 Valid 00Z Wed Sep 17 2014 - 00Z Fri Sep 19 2014 ***Odile ordeal for the Desert Southwest this week*** ***Fall-like weather continues across much of the eastern U.S.*** ***Scattered showers and storms for the Gulf Coast*** The big thing making weather headlines through the middle of the week will be the moisture associated with the remnants of tropical storm Odile. This once powerful hurricane over the Baja California peninsula is now weakening, however there is a plethora of tropical moisture just south of the Mexico border that is forecast to affect the Desert Southwest. Widespread flash flood watches are in effect from southern Nevada to extreme western Texas. Although the heaviest rainfall is expected over northwest Mexico, there may be some locations in Arizona and New Mexico that receive in excess of four inches of rain through Friday morning. This is more than a month's worth of rainfall! In the warm and humid airmass near the Gulf Coast and Florida, there will be scattered showers and thunderstorms, especially during the afternoon hours. Locally heavy rainfall will be possible near the Texas coast and South Florida, and another area of concentrated rainfall is likely near Missouri. Showers are also likely across parts of the Great Lakes and northern New England as a cold front clips the northern border of the U.S. Elsewhere, a large surface high is controlling the weather pattern across much of the eastern U.S., with many states enjoying quality fall-like conditions. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php