Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 253 AM EST Tue Feb 03 2015 Valid 12Z Tue Feb 03 2015 - 12Z Thu Feb 05 2015 ...Heavy rain for parts of the Pacific Northwest... ...Rain is expected across south Texas and along the Gulf Coast states... A front extending from the Northern High Plains southeastward to the Middle Mississippi Valley will move eastward to the Lower Great Lakes/Ohio Valley to the Southern Plains by Wednesday evening. Upper-level energy moving from the Northern Plains to the Great Lakes will produce light snow ahead of the boundary over parts of the Northern Plains that will move to the Great Lakes by Tuesday evening. The system will have a weak connection to a moisture source on Wednesday that will aid in producing snow near the front from the Northern Appalachians to the Middle Mississippi Valley by Wednesday evening. A small area of rain will also develop over parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday evening, too. Meanwhile, weakening onshore flow and upper-level energy will aid in producing light to moderate rain over parts of the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday morning. As the upper-level energy moves inland, snow will develop over parts of the Northern Intermountain Region into parts of the Northern/Central Rockies on Tuesday afternoon and evening. The snow will move to parts of the Central Plains/Central High Plains by Wednesday morning. In addition, an approaching front over the Pacific will produce light rain over parts of the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday morning into evening. Light snow will also develop over parts of the Northern/Central Rockies on Wednesday evening. An upper-level closed low over Western Mexico will move northeastward to the Western/Central Gulf Coast by Wednesday evening. The energy will pull moisture off the Gulf of Mexico producing light to moderate rain along the immediate Western Gulf Coast on Tuesday. By Wednesday evening the area of light to moderate rain will move and expand over parts of the Southeast and Eastern Gulf Coast. Ziegenfelder Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php