Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 359 PM EDT Wed Aug 12 2015 Valid 00Z Thu Aug 13 2015 - 00Z Sat Aug 15 2015 ...Severe thunderstorms possible across northern Minnesota... ...A cold front will bring cooler temperatures and showers and thunderstorms to the Pacific Northwest by Friday... Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected later today into tonight across portions of the northern plains and Upper Midwest in association with an upper-level disturbance that will traverse the region. A warm, moist, and unstable air mass is in place across these areas -- and sufficient vertical wind shear will exist for the potential for some of these storms to become severe. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined northern Minnesota in a slight risk for severe thunderstorms through tonight. Please refer to products issued by the SPC for further details on the severe weather threat. Additional showers and thunderstorms are possible across the northern plains and Upper Midwest on Thursday as a cold front moves south into the region from Canada. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will also spread east across the northern Great Lakes on Thursday. A trailing stationary frontal boundary along the Gulf Coast will produce generally scattered showers and thunderstorms across portions of the Gulf Coast and Southeastern states through Friday. A few areas of more widespread shower and thunderstorms activity are possible across Florida -- the result of some enhancement from the sea breeze and a particularly moist and unstable atmosphere south of the frontal boundary. Temperatures will remain above average from the Pacific Northwest east across the northern plains and Upper Midwest through Thursday, with afternoon high temperatures 10 to 15 degrees above average in many areas. A Pacific cold front will move into the Northwest early on Friday, bringing cooler temperatures and a chance of showers and thunderstorms. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php