Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 414 PM EDT Sat May 19 2018 Valid 00Z Sun May 20 2018 - 00Z Tue May 22 2018 ...Widespread shower and thunderstorm activity will continue from the southern and central Plains to the East Coast... ...Dry and cool conditions expected with a surface ridge while it builds over the north central U.S.... ...An amplifying upper trough will bring unsettled weather and below normal daytime temperatures to portions of the western U.S.... Widespread showers and thunderstorms will continue to develop within a warm and moist airmass in place from the southern and central Plains to the eastern U.S. One of the greatest threats for any organized areas of heavy rainfall or strong to severe thunderstorms will be from central Texas into the Middle Mississippi Valley as an impulse of energy aloft ejects northeastward out of the central Rockies Saturday evening. While the energy aloft and an associated weak surface wave track northeastward on Sunday, the chance for heavy rain and strong thunderstorms will shift into the Ohio Valley. Areas of heavy rainfall are also expected over Florida and portions of the Southeast Saturday night into Sunday and Monday as an axis of highly anomalous moisture and a weak disturbance slowly drift westward over the region. Elsewhere, dry and cool conditions are expected with a surface ridge while it builds over the north central U.S. Saturday night into Sunday and then slides eastward towards the Great Lakes Sunday night. Out west, an amplifying upper trough should bring unsettled weather and below normal daytime temperatures to portions of the western U.S.. Gerhardt Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php