Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 345 AM EDT Tue Oct 23 2018 Valid 12Z Tue Oct 23 2018 - 12Z Thu Oct 25 2018 ...Locally heavy rain and storms are possible for the Four Corners, Southwest U.S., and into Texas... ...Snow possible in northern New England... Active weather is expected to continue across the Desert Southwest eastward to the western Gulf Coast over the next few days. For today, an upper level trough will slide over the Four Corners by tonight and into Wednesday morning. This trough will bring moisture moisture from the eastern Pacific, possibly tied to Hurricane Willa. Showers and thunderstorms will ignite across the Four Corners and west Texas today--with the heaviest precipitation occurring in New Mexico and the Big Bend region. Furthermore, light snow can be expected in the higher elevations of southern Colorado. Shifting to the western Gulf Coast region, a stationary front still remains offshore. A surface low will develop along the front and move northward today--bringing rainfall to southeast Texas. There could also be showers and thunderstorms near the central Gulf Coast; however, the heaviest rainfall is expected to stay offshore. By Wednesday, the trough will be centered over the Plains. This will shift the axis of heavy rainfall across most of east and central Texas in addition to the lower Mississippi Valley. Some of this activity could lead to a marginal risk flash flooding. As Thursday approaches, the surface low will begin to approach the lower Mississippi Valley--with the heavy precipitation finally moving away from Texas. This will lead to below normal temperatures, particularly in south Texas where high temperatures will only reach the low to mid 60s. Low pressure currently moving across the Great Lakes will move eastward off the New England coast late tonight. This will rain to the immediate New England coast, with snow in the interior of New England. By Wednesday, heavy snowfall could impact northern Maine, although uncertainty still remains where the heaviest band of snow will set up. Lingering snow showers are expected downwind of the lower Great Lakes along with upstate New York and northern Vermont/New Hampshire on Thursday. Elsewhere, two systems will impact the Pacific Northwest during the short term period. A frontal boundary will approach the coast today, bringing an increase in precipitation near the coast. Light showers and higher elevation snow in the northern Rockies will remain overnight into Wednesday morning. The second system will approach British Columbia by Thursday morning, bringing heavy snow in the higher elevations in that province in addition to snow light snow in the Washington Cascades. Expect precipitation to increase throughout the day as the front continues moving closer to the Pacific Northwest coast. Consequently, below normal temperatures for the coastal portions of the Pacific Northwest can be expected. The rest of the western U.S. will stay above normal through midweek. Reinhart Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php