Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 356 PM EDT Mon Oct 02 2017 Valid 00Z Tue Oct 03 2017 - 00Z Thu Oct 05 2017 ...Heavy rain possible across the central U.S... ...Heavy snow expected in the northern Rockies and parts of the central Rockies... ...Showers and thunderstorms will continue along southeast Florida and parts of the Gulf Coast... A deep upper level trough over the western U.S. will slowly drift eastward over the next few days. At the surface, a cold front will move through the central Plains into the Upper Midwest/middle Mississippi Valley overnight and into Tuesday morning. Showers and thunderstorms will develop along this front; some of these storms have the potential to produce heavy rainfall that may yield to flash flooding. There is also a slight risk of severe weather for west-central Kansas and Nebraska through Tuesday morning. This line of thunderstorms will continue to move in a line from the Great Lakes to the southern Plains by Wednesday as the cold front progresses south and east. Meanwhile, farther north, heavy snowfall in the higher elevations in the northern Plains will continue through Tuesday. By Wednesday, most of the snowfall will come to an end with some lingering higher elevation snow showers in high peaks of Idaho and northern Nevada. Persistent easterly flow over Florida will continue bringing deep moisture and unstable air especially across south-central/southeast Florida and the Keys. Expect more widespread thunderstorm coverage in the late afternoon/early evening. A marginal risk of flash flooding is possible through the short term period as some of these thunderstorms could produce locally heavy rainfall. The west and central Gulf Coast will also experience an active period of precipitation as tropical moisture along with instability in place. The heaviest rainfall will be centered in the central Gulf Coast today. By Tuesday and into Wednesday, the axis of precipitation will shift to the western Louisiana/Texas coastline. Reinhart Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php