Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 241 AM EDT Mon Oct 17 2016 Valid 12Z Mon Oct 17 2016 - 12Z Wed Oct 19 2016 ...Severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rain possible for portions of the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes... ...Rain and a few thunderstorms expected again today for the Pacific Northwest... ...Well above average temperatures expected for the central and eastern U.S... An area of low pressure is forecast to develop along a frontal boundary across the Upper Midwest this afternoon, which will then move Northeastward across the Upper Great Lakes tonight. Showers and thunderstorms are expected today into tonight across these areas, some of which could produce severe weather as well as locally heavy rain. Please refer to products issued by the Storm Prediction Center for more details on the severe weather threat. As the surface low moves into Ontario and Quebec on Thursday, the trailing cold front will bring a chance of showers and a few thunderstorms to the northeastern states. Across the West, the pattern will remain unsettled, although the threat for very heavy rain and wind across the Northwest has come to an end. Onshore flow will continue, however, which will keep areas of showers and thunderstorms possible today. Farther inland, valley rain and mountain snow will fall across portions of the central and northern Rockies as well as the Intermountain Region, north of a stationary frontal boundary. On Tuesday, the Northwest will finally begin to dry out, with only a few lingering rain or snow showers in the Cascades. Areas of rain and snow showers will also linger on Tuesday and Wednesday across the central and northern Rockies. Warm temperatures will expand through the next couple days across the central and eastern U.S. beneath a building ridge of high pressure aloft. Afternoon high temperatures today will be 10 to 20 degrees above average from the southern and central plains to the Ohio valley and portions of the Mid-Atlantic. Temperatures across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast will continue to increase into Tuesday, with some areas exceeding 20 degrees above average. Temperatures will rise into the 80s on Tuesday as far north as the Ohio valley and Mid-Atlantic. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php