Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 345 AM EDT Tue Oct 24 2017 Valid 12Z Tue Oct 24 2017 - 12Z Thu Oct 26 2017 ...Strong cold front for the East Coast and quiet weather conditions for much of the central and western states... A strong autumn storm system is slowly tracking across the Great Lakes and will lift northeastward into Canada by Wednesday. A strong cold front extends southward from this low, and will bring a swath of moderate to heavy rain along with embedded thunderstorms from the Mid-Atlantic to the Northeast U.S. The heaviest rainfall is likely to materialize across New England as deep moisture ahead of the front leads to 1 to 3 inch rainfall amounts, with isolated higher totals possible. Some instances of flash flooding will be possible given the atmospheric set-up. Cooler and drier conditions will make it feel like fall again behind the front. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., fire weather concerns will continue across parts of California through the middle of the week with very dry conditions and gusty winds expected. A big heat wave is also in the forecast for southern California, with widespread 90s and 100s expected through Wednesday with excessive heat warnings in effect. Cool and dry conditions will prevail across the Plains and the Intermountain West with no major weather systems to produce precipitation. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php