Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 356 AM EDT Wed Oct 23 2019 Valid 12Z Wed Oct 23 2019 - 12Z Fri Oct 25 2019 ...Weather pattern becoming more amplified across the central U.S. by the end of the week... Sunny to partly cloudy skies and pleasant fall-like temperatures have made a return to the eastern U.S. after the rain from the cold front yesterday. A large surface high is establishing residence across the Southeast U.S. and this will keep conditions tranquil through the end of the week. A second cold front reaches the Northeast by Friday morning, but this will not have as much moisture to work with and most locations should remain dry. The weather pattern becomes more active across the Rockies and the Plains through Thursday as a strong cold front sinks southward towards Mexico by Thursday night. This will herald the arrival of much colder temperatures and even winter-like conditions from the central Rockies to as far southeast as the Texas Panhandle. The heaviest snow is likely for Colorado and northeastern New Mexico. There will be a surge of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of the front from southern Texas to Oklahoma, and rainfall totals through Friday morning could reach up to three inches in places. Parts of this region have a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall, and therefore a potential for some flooding. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., fire weather concerns will continue across parts of California through the end of the week with very low humidity along with gusty winds, owing to a stronger pressure gradient from a strong ridge of high pressure settling in across the Great Basin. Across the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, some light rain is likely on Wednesday across parts of the region as a cold front moves through. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php