Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 435 PM EDT Mon May 4 2015 Valid 00Z Tue May 5 2015 - 00Z Thu May 7 2015 ***Weather pattern become increasingly active across the central U.S.*** ***Showers and mountain snow for the Rockies and Pacific Northwest*** ***Warm weather across much of the country through mid-week*** Numerous showers and thunderstorms are in the forecast for much of the Great Plains and Midwest as the overall weather pattern becomes more active. The combination of an upper level low moving eastward from the southwestern U.S. towards the southern Plains, combined with a slow-moving frontal boundary, will set the stage for multiple complexes of thunderstorms from Texas to the Ohio Valley. Moisture flowing northward from the western Gulf of Mexico will intersect and overrun the front, while the upper level impulses provide additional forcing for ascent. Locally heavy rainfall and severe thunderstorms are likely each day, and the Storm Prediction Center has additional information regarding the severe weather specifics. For the eastern U.S., a cold front moving southeastward from the Great Lakes region is forecast to reach the Mid-Atlantic states by Wednesday morning before stalling and gradually dissipating. This front will likely provide a small reduction in the recent warm temperatures as winds turn more northerly and easterly from Virginia and extending into the Northeast U.S. Highs north of the front are expected to be from the mid 60s to the 70s, and continued 80+ degree weather south of the front. Scattered showers and storms are also expected in the vicinity of said front. Elsewhere across the nation, additional rain and mountain snow showers are expected for the Pacific Northwest by Tuesday as another weather disturbance moves through. Scattered showers and storms are also likely for much of the Intermountain West through midweek as a front and upper level shortwaves affect the area. For the southeast U.S. coast, a developing trough of low pressure offshore is being monitored for potential surface low development, and showers are likely to affect parts of the Florida peninsula through Wednesday. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php