Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 333 PM EDT Wed Oct 11 2017 Valid 00Z Thu Oct 12 2017 - 00Z Sat Oct 14 2017 ...Elevated to critical wildfire danger across the state of California... ...Moderate to heavy rain/snow likely across the Pacific Northwest... ...Well above normal temperatures to prevail over the southeastern United States... With a number of active fires currently impacting California, atmospheric conditions remain ripe to produce additional concerns the next couple of days. Based on the latest fire weather outlook from the Storm Prediction Center, a couple of areas are being highlighted for either an elevated or critical risk for wildfire danger. These regions include coastal locales just north of Los Angeles as well as the San Francisco Bay area into the central valley. In the wake of a frontal passage across the Intermountain West, a building surface ridge will ensure the persistence of offshore flow. This will usher in dry, gusty winds through the mountain passes which will effectively lower the relative humidity values across the region. Such conditions will make any relief efforts more difficult during the next couple of days. As an upper ridge remains in place across the eastern Pacific, a conveyor belt of shortwave troughs will dip down from far western British Columbia toward the Pacific Northwest. Energetics with each approaching system will access an abundant pool of moisture given persistent low-level onshore flow. The usual upslope orographics should play a key role in augmenting local precipitation amounts across the Washington/Oregon Cascades. The latest forecast suggest 2 to 3 inches of precipitation focused on these mountain ranges with snow levels dropping enough to support 12 to 18 inches over the taller peaks. Cold advection accompanying this system will allow for a sufficient cool down across much of the northwestern United States. Departures from normal will likely be in the 10 to 15 degree below average range which favors highs in the 30s and 40s across the higher terrain with 50s more commonplace over the lower elevations. Elsewhere, unsettled conditions should continue along the Eastern Seaboard as a progressive upper trough sweeps through the Great Lakes and upper Mid-Atlantic. A slow-moving frontal zone will be stubborn to exit the coast which should keep a threat for rainfall in the forecast through Friday. Given the stronger dynamics migrate into the western Atlantic by Thursday morning, the activity should be more scattered in nature, possibly focusing in locations which receive more solar radiation. A better chance for heavy rainfall is possible over southern Florida as an easterly wave sweeps through the Bahamas and points westward. In addition to the threat for precipitation, conditions will be remain mild and humid, particularly over the southeastern United States. There may be a few daily records broken on Thursday morning due to the warm overnight lows. Rubin-Oster Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php