Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 407 AM EDT Sun Apr 05 2015 Valid 12Z Sun Apr 05 2015 - 12Z Tue Apr 07 2015 ...Welcome rain and snow for drought stricken northern California into Oregon... ...Wintry weather for parts of the Great Lakes region to northern New England... A upper level system will slowly drop down the West Coast over the next couple of days which will keep unsettled weather around for many from northern California and the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies. Lower elevation rain and mountain snow will increase in coverage today across parts of the West but the heaviest precipitation should arrive into northern California and southwest Oregon on Monday ahead of an approaching surface low and occluded front. While this storm system will put a damper on any outdoor activities, rain and snow are very much needed across California and Oregon which are experiencing a long standing drought. Farther to the east, a strong east-west oriented quasi-stationary front will be in place through Tuesday from northern Nebraska into New England. A few rounds of precipitation will fall in the form of snow and freezing rain from the upper Mississippi valley into upstate New York and northern New England. Accumulations will be light to locally moderate but daytime highs above freezing for most should help to allow some melting to take place. South of this frontal boundary will be rather mild temperatures, especially for the central and southern plains. In fact on Monday, maximum temperatures should break 90 for parts of west Texas into western Oklahoma, which is about 15 to 20 degrees above early April averages. Somewhat cooler weather will streak eastward from Texas later today beneath rain and thunderstorms as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico overruns a warm front lifting north from the Gulf Coast. This area of clouds and rain/thunder-showers will expand into Monday which will limit sunshine for many east of the Mississippi on Monday and along the east coast for Tuesday. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php