Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 351 AM EDT Tue Sep 26 2017 Valid 12Z Tue Sep 26 2017 - 12Z Thu Sep 28 2017 ...Amplified weather pattern continues over the continental U.S. with Hurricane Maria near the East Coast... With a deep upper-level trough in place over the west-central U.S., below average temperatures are forecast to persist through midweek for much of this region before a moderating trend commences later in the week. With high pressure building in along with drier conditions, the coverage of snow showers over the Rockies has decreased. The eastern U.S. will continue to have warmer temperatures for a couple more days as the upper level ridge slowly moves eastward. A strong, slow moving cold front with multiple waves of low pressure developing along it will span from the Upper Great Lakes to Texas, and finally making it to the East Coast by Thursday and bringing a return to more fall-like weather. Heavy rainfall is expected across central and western Texas, where deep moisture streaming northward from former Tropical Storm Pilar in the eastern Pacific will contribute to heavier rainfall amounts, with amounts possibly in excess of 4 inches between now and Wednesday night. Flash flooding is possible across this region, especially where storms track over the same area repeatedly. Hurricane Maria is forecast to track near parts of the East Coast on Tuesday night and into Wednesday. Current indications suggest this storm will track about 100-200 miles east of North Carolina's Outer Banks before heading out to sea on Thursday. It will be the front approaching from the west that causes the eastward turn for the hurricane later in the week. The National Hurricane Center has the latest information and forecast track regarding this hurricane. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php