Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 PM EST Fri Feb 26 2016 Valid 00Z Sat Feb 27 2016 - 00Z Mon Feb 29 2016 ...Mild weather spreading across the eastern two-thirds of the country for the weekend... ...Coastal rain and mountain snow continue in the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies... It appears that much of the eastern two-thirds of the country will enjoy quiet weekend and warmer temperatures as a broad area of high pressure remains in control. A couple of upper-level troughs are expected to swing across the area but a lack of moisture means that they will move through without rain. Temperatures on Saturday will start out cool in the eastern U.S. before a noticeable warm-up arrives on Sunday as west to southwesterly winds become firmly established. The warmest temperatures are expected to be in the central High Plains where readings are forecast to climb into the 70s on Saturday where some locations may even see record high temperatures. The record warmth should spread into the Midwest on Sunday and into the Northeast by Monday. Behind the record warmth, colder air from Canada will move into the northern U.S. on Saturday and continue to spread southward into the central Plains by Sunday night. As a low pressure center develops along an arctic front in North Dakota on Saturday and moves into the Great Lakes on Sunday, some snow will spread eastward across these areas during the weekend. Meanwhile, unsettled weather is expected to continue from the Pacific Northwest into the northern and central Rockies, even down into northern California through the weekend as a series of fronts from the Pacific marches across. Periods of rain in the coastal areas and lower elevations, and mountain snow can be expected through Monday. Farther south, the Desert Southwest and the southern Rockies will remain dry. Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php