Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 206 AM EST Thu Jan 2 2020 Valid 12Z Thu Jan 2 2020 - 12Z Sat Jan 4 2020 ...Heavy rain returns to the South and another storm system for the Northwest... Widespread moderate to heavy rain and thunderstorms have made a return to the Gulf Coast region as a moisture rich disturbance lifts northward from the Gulf of Mexico. This feature will be ahead of a longwave trough over Mexico and the High Plains, and a warm front lifting northward across the Gulf Coast region will provide additional instability for some strong to severe thunderstorms. The Storm Prediction Center has a Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms across portions of Louisiana and Mississippi for Thursday. In terms of heavy rainfall, current indications suggest the potential for 3 to 5 inches of rainfall from central Mississippi to eastern Tennessee, and there will likely be some instances of flash flooding where there are multiple rounds of thunderstorm activity. Flood watches are in effect for these areas. For the Pacific Northwest, heavy rain can be expected for coastal areas of Washington and Oregon, and heavy snow for the Olympics and Cascades. By Friday night, a strong cold front approaches the region with a powerful surface low crossing British Columbia. The result will be strong winds and high surf for the coastal areas, and additional heavy precipitation can be expected for the Pacific Northwest and northern Rockies as this front moves inland Saturday morning. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., mainly dry conditions are expected across the Desert Southwest and extending eastward to the central Plains. Much of the central and eastern U.S. will have temperatures that feel more like March instead of January ahead of the cold front, and near to below normal for the Rockies and parts of the Intermountain West. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php