Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 300 PM EST Fri Dec 01 2017 Valid 00Z Sat Dec 02 2017 - 00Z Mon Dec 04 2017 ...Strong cold front to spread unsettled weather across the northwest U.S. this weekend... ...High temperatures well above average in the Intermountain West and Great Plains this weekend ahead of cold front... The relatively quiet pattern currently in place across the lower 48 will begin to change ahead of a Pacific storm system currently located in the eastern Pacific. As an upper level trough nears the West Coast tonight into Saturday, coastal and lower elevation rain will move into the Pacific Northwest and northern California along with snow for the higher elevations of the Cascades and eastward to the northern Rockies. Out ahead of this system...high temperatures on Saturday are expected to range from 10-20 degrees above average for a large section the country extending from the Intermountain West to the Mississippi valley. One to two inches of rain, locally higher, is expected along the Oregon coast down into northern California through Sunday morning with snowfall accumulations varying significantly depending on elevation for inland locations. The greatest accumulations, over a foot, are expected for the Washington and Oregon Cascades as well as the Sawtooth, Salmon River and Bitterroot mountains from Idaho into Montana. As the cold front continues to move inland through Sunday morning, colder air will filter in behind the strong boundary with high temperatures falling closer to average for Sunday and 5-10 degrees below average from the Great Basin into the central Rockies on Monday. From the Great Plains to the East Coast, conditions will generally be dry with temperatures a little above average through the weekend. Some light rain/snow will be possible in the vicinity of the U.P. of Michigan tonight and some rain over the Southeast near a lingering front. In addition, a few showers and thunderstorms are expected for portions of southeastern Texas into Louisiana Sunday into Monday ahead of a weakening upper level disturbance. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php