Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 325 PM EDT Thu Mar 26 2015 Valid 00Z Fri Mar 27 2015 - 00Z Sun Mar 29 2015 ***Weather pattern becoming more amplified across the country*** ***Heavy rain near the Gulf Coast and showers for the East Coast*** ***Turning colder across the central and eastern U.S.*** 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 Cascades and northern Rockies, but nothing widespread is currently anticipated. For the eastern U.S., the mild weather that was observed on Thursday will be quickly replaced by much colder weather in time for the weekend. A strong cold front currently crossing the Appalachian Mountains is forecast to reach the East Coast by Friday morning, dropping temperatures on the order of 15 to 30 degrees by Saturday. Some lingering showers will be possible behind the front, and snow showers are possible across parts of the Great Lakes and the Northeast. Across the southern U.S., heavy rain with embedded thunderstorms are expected for the central Gulf Coast and towards the Florida peninsula through Thursday night. Deep moisture lifting northward from the Gulf of Mexico will converge with the approaching cold front from the west, resulting in enhanced lift and widespread rain. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php