Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 319 PM EDT Thu Oct 15 2020 Valid 00Z Fri Oct 16 2020 - 00Z Sun Oct 18 2020 ...Recent cooling trend across the mid section of the nation to spread to the east coast Friday and Saturday... ...Much above average temperatures will persist across the Southwest and California with a continued fire weather threat... ...Increasingly wet from the coastal Mid-Atlantic into New England Friday into Saturday.. ...Accumulating snows possible from the Northern Rockies into the Northern Plains/Upper Mississippi Valley Friday into Saturday... The significant cool down that has occurred over the past 24 hours across the mid section of the nation will be spreading east into the eastern U.S. Friday into Saturday as a strong cold front pushes across these areas. Precipitation associated with this front is expected to become more organized as it pushes eastward. Moderate to heavy precipitation amounts expected from northern to eastern New York State, along the coastal Mid-Atlantic and into New England. While temperatures have fallen across the central U.S. and will across the east over the next two days, much above average temperatures will likely persist through this weekend across the Southwest and California. This will continue the threat of fire weather across these areas where relative humidities will remain low and gusty winds are expected. A storm system dropping southeast from British Columbia into the Northern Rockies Friday will then push eastward across the Northern Plains and into the Upper Mississippi Valley on Saturday. This storm will produce accumulating snows across the Northern Rockies of Montana and northern Wyoming and eastward across northern North Dakota and northern Minnesota. In the wake of this storm, a reinforcing shot of below average temperature air will push south into the Northern Plains on Saturday. Oravec Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php