Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 225 PM EST Wed Jan 27 2016 Valid 00Z Thu Jan 28 2016 - 00Z Sat Jan 30 2016 ...Locally heavy rain possible for portions of south Florida... ...Heavy precipitation possible for the Pacific Northwest... ...Above average temperatures expected for much of the central U.S... A frontal boundary will linger across the Florida Peninsula through Thursday, keeping showers and thunderstorms in the picture. 1 to 2 inches of rain is possible across south Florida, and locally heavier amounts are possible. The cold front will move east of Florida Thursday night, with showers and thunderstorms forecast to end by Friday morning. The weather pattern across the northwestern U.S. will be unsettled through Friday as a couple Pacific frontal systems move onshore. The first frontal boundary will move into the Northwest this evening, with rain spreading inland across the region. Snow will fall in the highest elevations of the Washington Cascades and the higher terrain of the Intermountain region. The frontal boundary will move into the northern Intermountain states on Thursday as it weakens. Nonetheless, mountain snow and valley rain will increase on Thursday across this region. A second, stronger low pressure system will approach the Northwest late Thursday night into Friday, spreading another round of precipitation into the region. Snow levels will decrease Friday afternoon as the cold front moves inland, with rain changing to snow for most of the Cascades, as well as for all but the lowest elevations in the Intermountain region. Through late Friday, 6 to 12 inches of snow, with locally higher amounts, are possible for the Cascades and the higher terrain of the Intermountain West/northern Rockies. A low pressure system will move across the Great Lakes tonight into Thursday, bringing snow showers to much of the Great Lakes tonight and into the Northeast on Thursday. The most significant areas of snowfall accumulation will occur where there is some lake effect enhancement, downwind of the Great Lakes. In general, 1 to 4 inches of snow are possible, with locally higher amounts. A warm front ahead of another area of low pressure will result in scattered areas of generally light snow and freezing rain across portions of the northern plains and Upper Midwest on Friday. High pressure at the mid and upper-levels will expand across the central U.S. through Friday, which will result in continued above average temperatures. High temperatures on Thursday and Friday will be 10 to 20 degrees above average across a wide area from the southern plains north to the Canadian border. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php