Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 455 PM EDT Thu Aug 20 2015 Valid 00Z Fri Aug 21 2015 - 00Z Sun Aug 23 2015 ***Slow moving cold front with rain for eastern U.S.*** ***Cold front arriving for the north-central U.S.*** The main feature of interest across the nation is the cold front crossing the eastern U.S. through Friday. The main surface low associated with this front has now moved into southern Canada. The northern portion of the front will be more progressive and should reach the Mid-Atlantic coast by Friday morning. However, the southern portion will tend to slow down and become nearly stationary before eventually dissipating. Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected across parts of Texas, the Deep South, and the Southeast U.S. through Thursday night. A broken band of showers and storms is expected from the Mid-Atlantic to New England ahead of the front as deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico gets drawn northward. Heavy rainfall is likely for some areas as well. Behind the front, cooler and drier weather will arrive and lower the humidity in time for the weekend. Farther to the west, a developing cold front moving southeastward out of western Canada is expected to reach the northern High Plains and northern Rockies by Friday afternoon. This front will bring showers and thunderstorms into the forecast to close out the week. The surface low with this second system is also forecast to develop rapidly and have surface pressures under 1000mb by Saturday afternoon near the Canadian border. Monsoonal moisture and afternoon heating will aid in the development of showers and thunderstorms over parts of the Desert Southwest and southern Rockies during the same time period. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php