Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 356 AM EDT Mon Aug 29 2016 Valid 12Z Mon Aug 29 2016 - 12Z Wed Aug 31 2016 ...Showers and thunderstorms expected across the central Plains and Midwest... ...Hot and humid conditions will persist from Texas to the Mid-Atlantic region... ...West Coast states will continue to be warm and dry... A change in the weather pattern is coming to the north-central U.S. as a cold front sinks southward from Canada. A surge of warm and humid air ahead of the front will likely lead to the development of showers and storms from eastern New Mexico to the upper Great Lakes, with isolated areas of heavy rainfall that could lead to localized flooding issues. A few severe thunderstorms will also be possible. Cooler and more pleasant conditions are expected for the beginning of the week over the north central U.S. as a quality airmass moves into the region. Other areas of the U.S. with prospects for heavy rainfall over the next couple of days will be the Texas Gulf Coast and southern Florida. A tropical depression crossing south of Key West is expected to bring widespread cloudiness with multiple rounds of showers and storms, with several inches of rainfall possible over South Florida. A weak upper low over the Gulf of Mexico, combined with deep layer moisture advecting northward around the upper level ridge, will lead to widespread rainfall near the Texas coast, with the heaviest activity likely remaining just offshore. Amounts of 1 to 3 inches are possible in some areas. The heat and humidity will persist across much of the southern Plains, Deep South, and Mid-Atlantic region through the first half of the week, with widespread highs in the upper 80s to mid 90s, and lows in the 70s. This is courtesy of the upper level ridge and relative lack of cloudiness and rainfall. Out west, it should remain dry and warm, with no appreciable chance of rainfall from the northern Rockies to California, except for some rain over northwestern Washington state as a disturbance approaches the Pacific Northwest. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php