Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 258 AM EST Thu Feb 15 2018 Valid 12Z Thu Feb 15 2018 - 12Z Sat Feb 17 2018 ...Heavy rainfall could bring flooding to parts of the Ohio Valley and Northeast... ...Warm temperatures expected across the eastern U.S. before a strong cold front sweeps eastward... ...Beneficial rain and snow for parts of the West... Warm, moist air will lift through the Southern Plains and the Mid-Atlantic region over the next few days, aiding in the development of showers and thunderstorms along a cold front. In this regime temperatures will be well above normal across much of the South with afternoon highs averaging 20 to 30 warmer than normal. These storms will be capable of producing heavy rainfall. The front is forecast to continue moving south and east through the Mid-Atlantic, Ohio/Tennessee Valleys, lower Mississippi Valley and the Southern Plains by late Friday. A swath of scattered rainfall will span from southern New Mexico to the Chesapeake Bay. The Appalachian spine of western Pennsylvania and West Virginia could have 1 to 3 inches by early Sunday morning. Strong high pressure will move into the Northern and Central Plains in the wake of the cold front, allowing cold air to settle in. High temperatures will be up to 30 degrees below normal. By Friday, temperatures behind the front will be near normal throughout the Mississippi Valley and southern Plains. The Pacific Northwest and portions of the Desert Southwest will be in an active wet pattern through the weekend. Onshore flow along with a series of upper-level disturbances will spread rain and mountain snow across the region. In general, accumulations are expected to be on the lighter side. However, given that moderate to severe drought is present in the Southwest and parts of the Central Great Basin, the rainfall and higher elevation snow should alleviate these conditions. Campbell/Reinhart Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php