Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 PM EST Fri Feb 23 2018 Valid 00Z Sat Feb 24 2018 - 00Z Mon Feb 26 2018 ...Active weather pattern continues with heavy rain across the Plains and Ohio Valley and snow for parts of the Midwest... The main weather story making weather headlines for the weekend will be the continued heavy rainfall and strong thunderstorms from the southern Plains to the Ohio Valley. This is in association with a nearly stationary front that is intercepting copious amounts of deep moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and leading to multiple rounds of heavy rain over already saturated soils from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley. A strong low pressure system will develop over the central Plains and then track towards the Midwest and Great Lakes, providing another round of heavy rain. Severe thunderstorms will also be possible in the warm sector of this low pressure system from the central Gulf Coast to southern Indiana. A high risk of excessive rainfall is expected on Saturday from Arkansas to Kentucky with the potential for several inches of rain by Sunday morning. Flash flood watches are also in effect. Much of the West will remain in a cold and unsettled pattern through the weekend courtesy of multiple shortwaves dropping south and reinforcing the broad upper level trough of low pressure. Widespread snow is expected for the Cascades and northern Rockies. Another swath of accumulating snow is in the forecast from Nebraska to northern Michigan on the northwest side of the developing central U.S. surface low. The cold airmass in place over the region will keep afternoon highs generally 10 to 20 degrees cooler than average for late February. The opposite will be the case for the Deep South and extending eastward to the Carolinas and Florida, with widespread highs in the mid 70s to mid 80s with additional record highs possible. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php