Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 AM EST Sat Mar 07 2015 Valid 12Z Sat Mar 07 2015 - 12Z Mon Mar 09 2015 ...Record low temperatures will begin to moderate across the eastern and south central U.S. this weekend... ...Heavy rains possible along the western Gulf coast and across east Texas... An Arctic airmass settled in over the eastern and south central U.S. will make for a chilly start on Saturday...but the record breaking low temperatures will gradually begin to moderate this weekend. The sprawling surface high with the modifying Arctic air will initially keep much of the eastern half of the Nation precipitation free...with the exception of a batch of light snow showers streaking from the Great Lakes to interior New England and lingering rain and thunderstorms across Florida. Later in the forecast period...an upper trough swinging through northern Mexico will spread precipitation across Texas on Sunday. Increasing amounts of Gulf moisture pulling northward ahead of this feature could fuel an area of heavy rains along the western Gulf coast and across east Texas by early Monday. An upper ridge parked over the western U.S. will keep locations west of the Continental Divide warm and dry through the weekend. Gerhardt Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php