Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 232 PM EST Mon Dec 03 2018 Valid 00Z Tue Dec 04 2018 - 00Z Thu Dec 06 2018 ...Below average temperatures for much of the nation... ...A return to rain and mountain snow for California Tuesday night... The threat for heavy rain and flash flooding will wane for southern Georgia into northern Florida through this evening and overnight as a cold front and associated deep moisture push south. Much colder air in the wake of this boundary will reach the East Coast resulting in much of the nation experiencing high temperature departures of 5 to 15 degrees below average for Tuesday with the exceptions of Florida and southern Arizona which will be near to slightly above normal. On Wednesday, temperatures will be near to below average from coast to coast, with some of the greatest departures across the East with 5 to 10 degrees below early December averages. Sprawling areas of high pressure will dominate the lower 48 into early Wednesday translating into a relatively quiet pattern with light scattered snow showers for the Ohio Valley and near the Great Lakes. On Wednesday, another cold front will begin to enter the U.S. from the north bringing a renewed shot of colder temperatures to the north-central U.S. along with scattered light snow showers from Montana into the upper Mississippi Valley. Out West, a slow moving upper level disturbance will edge near California tomorrow into Wednesday. Onshore flow ahead of the system's cold front will bring a return to light rain for northern California Tuesday morning with steadier and more moderate intensity rainfall Tuesday night into Wednesday dropping down the California coast. Elevated inland locations such as the Sierra Nevada Mountains above roughly 6000 feet in elevation will see accumulating snow starting late Tuesday but totals will remain relatively light through mid-week. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php