Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 359 PM EDT Mon Aug 24 2015 Valid 00Z Tue Aug 25 2015 - 00Z Thu Aug 27 2015 ...Cold front to bring scattered showers and thunderstorms to the eastern U.S... ...Cool and dry conditions expected for much of the central U.S... ...Dry conditions expected to persist across the Northwest through the next couple days... An unseasonably strong cold front will continue on its eastward track; passing through New England, the Mid-Atlantic and the Gulf states by Wednesday evening. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected along and ahead of the front across much of the eastern U.S. and the Gulf states. The front will move relatively slowly, and showers and thunderstorms are expected to persist across the Northeast on Tuesday, while much of the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast, except for coastal areas, will dry out on Tuesday as the front passes. Moisture wrapping around the low pressure system will also keep scattered showers possible through Tuesday for much of the Great Lakes region. A cooler drier airmass has settled over the Central Plains and Midwest in the wake of the cold frontal passage. Temperatures are forecast to run 5 to 15 degrees below seasonal average for many locations in this region; especially for near the Great Lakes. With widespread cloud cover and shower activity, temperatures will struggle to climb out of the 50s and 60s. Behind the cold front, a cooler and drier air mass has overspread much of the plans and the Midwest. Afternoon high temperatures today are expected to be 5 to 15 degrees below average in many areas. Temperatures are forecast to be as much as 20 degrees below average over the northern Great Lakes as clouds and scattered showers remain in place. These below average temperatures will persist into Tuesday, while spreading east into parts of the Appalachians on Wednesday. The current weather pattern will maintain drier air over much of the Pacific Northwest. A cold front is forecast to pass through the region today into Tuesday; however, the system will be starved for moisture and will be lacking any precipitation. Wind associated with the front will help transport some of the smoke out of the area, but most of it will remain trapped in the valleys. A vast area spanning from southeast Washington, Eastern Oregon, Idaho to western Montana are highlighted with Air Quality Alerts; as these locations are experiencing unhealthy conditions from the wildfire smoke. Numerous flash flood watches, advisories and warnings are in effect for Hawaiian Islands through this evening and into Tuesday morning as periods of intense rainfall, associated with Tropical Depression Kilo and Tropical Storm Loke, move through. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php