Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 219 PM EDT Thu Sep 10 2015 Valid 00Z Fri Sep 11 2015 - 00Z Sun Sep 13 2015 ***Weather pattern change across much of the nation*** ***Periods of rain through Saturday for the eastern U.S.*** ***Hot weather for the West Coast and Desert Southwest*** After several days of unseasonal heat and humidity, a welcomed pattern change is in the forecast this weekend east of the Rocky Mountains. There are two cold fronts worth noting, with the first front making a difference in the daytime highs along the East Coast beginning today. This boundary will have plenty of moisture to work with, and the slow moving nature of this front will allow for multiple rounds of moderate to heavy rainfall from the Mid-Atlantic region to New England through Saturday. Some areas may receive a few inches of rainfall that could lead to isolated flooding issues. Strong thunderstorms are also possible over this region. The second cold front is more potent and it will signal the beginning of the pattern change. Both cooler and noticeably drier air will arrive behind this front, and bring more of a fall-like feel by Sunday from the Great Plains to the East Coast with a high quality airmass in place. The exception will be the Gulf Coast and Florida where the humidity will persist longer. Another round of strong to severe thunderstorms is possible ahead of this front. For the western U.S., hot weather will continue to make headlines through Friday for much of California. Temperatures are expected to be on the order of 10 to 20 degrees above average, and some heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are in effect. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php