Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 413 AM EDT Sat Mar 14 2015 Valid 12Z Sat Mar 14 2015 - 12Z Mon Mar 16 2015 ***Unsettled weather for the East Coast on Saturday*** ***Periods of rain for the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West*** ***Relatively quiet weather pattern for the central U.S.*** Another wet day is in store for the eastern U.S. on Saturday as plenty of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico surges northward to the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic region. A broad shield of rain is expected from Illinois to New Jersey, and flood watches are in effect for localities near the Ohio River and extending into western Pennsylvania and upstate New York. River flooding is more of a concern than flash flooding, given the lack of intense rainfall rates with this system. Farther to the north across parts of upstate New York and into New England, there should be enough cold air in place to support some wintry precipitation this weekend. A mixture of freezing rain and sleet is likely just inland from the I-95 corridor in southern New England, and snow is likely from northern Vermont to Maine as a low pressure area develops near the coast of Maine by Sunday morning. For the western U.S., a series of weak disturbances aloft and a surface cold front approaching the West Coast will equate to scattered areas of rainfall, along with high mountain snow showers. Rain is forecast to spread across the Pacific Northwest and then into the Intermountain West through Sunday. The greatest precipitation is likely to occur over western Washington and Oregon, and also over the elevated terrain of the northern Rockies. Most of the central part of the country should remain mostly dry through the weekend. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php