Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 355 PM EDT Wed Sep 16 2015 Valid 00Z Thu Sep 17 2015 - 00Z Sat Sep 19 2015 ***Trough over the West and Ridge over the East*** ***Stormy weather for the Southeast Coast and Florida*** ***Showers and high elevation snow for the Rockies*** The overall weather pattern through the end of the week will be featured with a large scale trough over the western U.S., and an upper level ridge over the central and eastern U.S. At the surface, a large surface high will continue to hold strong along the East Coast, keeping the forecast warm and dry for the most part. In fact, temperatures are expected to be 5 to 15 degrees above average for most areas east of the Mississippi River. The exception for the eastern U.S. will be the state of Florida and adjacent coastal areas. The remnants of an old stationary front, along with a developing trough of low pressure off the southeast coast, will keep plenty of clouds and showers around, along with some strong thunderstorms at times. Some parts of this region may receive 1 to 3 inches of rain, with the greatest amounts likely for the southern half of Florida. A large scale trough will be evident across the western third of the nation as a cold front continues moving southeastward across the Plains. Behind the front, below normal temperatures are likely for Thursday and Friday for the northwestern quadrant of the U.S. Scattered showers are likely from the Pacific Northwest to the northern Rockies, and the highest elevations may even have some snow showers. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php