Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 359 AM EDT Fri Aug 05 2016 Valid 12Z Fri Aug 05 2016 - 12Z Sun Aug 07 2016 ...Seasonal to below average temperatures for much of the western and central U.S.... ...Heavy rain and flash flooding possible for portions of the Southwest and southern and central Rockies... ...Locally heavy rains possible for portions of the Southeast and the lower Ohio and Tennessee valleys... A cold front extending from Ontario to the Midwest and through the central Plains will continue on its eastward track through the weekend. Cooler temperatures will usher in after the front passes through - afternoon temperatures will be near or slightly below the average for early August across the West and Central U.S before reaching the Northeast on Saturday. Showers and thunderstorms will develop along and ahead of the passing front. Some of these storms may be strong to severe and produce locally heavy to excessive rains, particularly across portions of the mid Mississippi valley into the upper Great Lakes. Further to the southwest, a series of weak upper level disturbances moving to the northeast while interacting with monsoonal moisture are expected to produce widespread showers and thunderstorms across parts of the Southwest into the Great Basin and the southern and central Rockies. The threat for flash flooding will be elevated over the next few days as any of these storms will have the potential to produce heavy rain. A cold front will pass through the Pacific Northwest this weekend bringing cooler temperatures and showers to much of the region. The front is forecast to cross the Northern Rockies by Sunday. Much of the Southeast will have showers and thunderstorms during the afternoon and evening hours daily, especially along a lingering frontal boundary extending from the Carolinas to the Tennessee valley. Locally heavy rain will be likely as slow movement of the convection is expected across the area -raising the threat for organized heavy rains along the panhandle into the northern peninsula. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php