Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 452 PM EDT Wed Mar 25 2015 Valid 00Z Thu Mar 26 2015 - 00Z Sat Mar 28 2015 ***Weather pattern becoming more amplified across the country*** ***Bad weather across the Central Plains Wednesday night*** ***Warm on Thursday for East Coast then much colder by the weekend*** The weather pattern over the next few days will be featured with an upper level ridge over the western U.S., and a building trough over the East Coast and Ohio Valley. This will keep the active storm track from the Pacific mainly north of the border in British Columbia, and thus dry conditions will continue for the West Coast and most of the Intermountain West. There should be a few scattered rain and snow showers for the central and northern Rockies, but nothing widespread is currently anticipated. A shortwave aloft and a developing surface low over northern Texas will create an environment favorable for severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall from Oklahoma to southern Illinois Wednesday night and into Thursday morning. Ahead of the cold front, humid air flowing northward from the Gulf of Mexico will intersect this boundary in the presence of an unstable atmosphere, resulting in widespread showers and storms. Localized flash flooding is possible where heavy convection persists. For the eastern U.S., it will be a mild day from New York southward to Florida on Thursday ahead of a strong cold front. Widespread highs in the 60s and 70s are expected. This will be short-lived with cold weather returning for Friday and Saturday behind the front. Temperatures are expected to be below normal for this upcoming weekend across much of the region. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php