Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 354 PM EDT Wed Oct 12 2016 Valid 00Z Thu Oct 13 2016 - 00Z Sat Oct 15 2016 ...Heavy rain expected over the Pacific Northwest and Northern California Coast through the end of the week... ...Cold front crossing the central and eastern U.S. through Thursday... The main weather story over the next few days will be the deteriorating conditions over the Pacific Northwest and northern California beginning on Thursday. A large upper level vortex over the northern Pacific will send multiple shortwave impulses eastward towards the coast, and this will allow for surface cyclogenesis to occur over the offshore waters along with a trailing cold front. An atmospheric river of deep moisture is expected ahead of this front as it nears the coast, with several inches of rainfall likely along with high winds for coastal areas on the order of 30 to 50 mph with higher gusts. The areas with the greatest rainfall totals will likely be over southwest Oregon and northwest California to close out the week, and some flooding issues will be possible over this area. The weather pattern will continue to be active going into the weekend. A cold front will reinforce the autumnal weather conditions across the central and eastern U.S. as another pristine air mass settles southward from Canada. A brief warm-up is expected for the East Coast states ahead of the front on Thursday, with highs reaching the 70s and 80s. Scattered showers and a few thunderstorms are likely along the northern portion of the front as it crosses the Ohio Valley and the Northeast U.S. Behind the front, temperatures will be slightly below average with frost and freeze conditions likely for the Appalachian Mountains and locations well inland from the coast. The Deep South and Gulf Coast region should continue to have warm weather with the front stalling out over this region by the end of the week. Highs in the 80s and lows in the 60s will be commonplace. Additional showers and storms are likely over the southern Plains and extending into Arkansas in the vicinity of this boundary. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php