Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 500 PM EDT Tue Mar 10 2015 Valid 00Z Wed Mar 11 2015 - 00Z Fri Mar 13 2015 ...Wet weather continues near a stationary front from the central Gulf coast northeastward through the Mid-Atlantic region... ...Increasing chance of precipitation out West... ...Very warm temperatures for the northern Plains on Thursday... A frontal boundary currently draping across the eastern U.S. is expected to advance slowly to the south and east over the next few days. Southwesterly winds aloft will continue to transport moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and fuel heavy rains and thunderstorms at times from the central Gulf coast to the Appalachians tonight into Wednesday. It appears that activities in the mid-Atlantic will be suppressed on Wednesday and should be drying out on Thursday as a high pressure ridge builds in from the Great Lakes. Meanwhile, a low pressure center is expected to form and move northward towards the western Gulf Coast, where the chance of heavy rain and thunderstorms will increase on Thursday. Out West, a weakening frontal system is expected to approach from the Pacific. Mainly rain should move into the coastal region tonight and will move farther inland on Wednesday, reaching the Intermountain region as light snow over the higher elevations on Thursday. Since the front should continue to weaken and dissipate near the coast, only light to briefly moderate rainfall is forecast for the drought-stricken northern California on Wednesday. With high pressure in control, dry and seasonably cold weather is expected across the Northeast into the Great lakes and Upper Midwest. In contrast, very warm temperatures for this time of the year are forecast for the northern Plains, where readings could rise well up into the 70's by Thursday afternoon! Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php