Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 305 PM EDT Fri Oct 18 2019 Valid 00Z Sat Oct 19 2019 - 00Z Mon Oct 21 2019 ...Tropical Storm Nestor has formed and is forecast to make landfall in the Florida Panhandle around Saturday morning... ...Increased precipitation in the West with heavy snow possible in higher elevations... Tropical Storm Nestor, located in the Gulf of Mexico, is expected to move northeastward over the next couple days, making landfall in the Florida panhandle and becoming post-tropical as it tracks across the Southeast this weekend. Nestor will bring widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches, with isolated amounts of 6 inches, to the central Gulf Coast and northern and central Florida to the eastern Carolinas. Even when Nestor becomes post-tropical, strong winds are forecast to continue in the Southeast. Please see the National Hurricane Center for additional information on Nestor. A frontal system moving across the central U.S. will lead to scattered showers across the Plains tonight and in the Upper Midwest to Upper Great Lakes Saturday. Farther west, strengthening upper-level energy is forecast to push a cold front quickly through the West on Saturday, leading to cooler temperatures and more precipitation. Precipitation will fall as snow in higher elevations, and heavy snow is possible from the Cascades to the Northern Rockies and the Tetons/Wind River Mountains. Meanwhile, areas farther south could see elevated to critical fire weather conditions across portions of California and the Southwest to the Central Great Basin and Central/Southern Rockies. The aforementioned frontal system is forecast to push into the Plains on Sunday, so showers and thunderstorms are expected there once again. Some snow could mix in for the Northern High Plains. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php