Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 330 PM EST Wed Nov 04 2020 Valid 00Z Thu Nov 05 2020 - 00Z Sat Nov 07 2020 ...Pleasant autumn weather continues across much of the central and eastern U.S. as a winter storm develops over the interior western U.S. later on Friday... ...Record or near-record warmth continues for the Desert Southwest, northern Rockies and the northern Plains... ...Chances of rain increasing across southern Florida as Eta re-emerges into the northwestern Caribbean Sea... An unusually expansive ridge of high pressure continues to deliver fine autumn weather across a large portion of the country, with above normal temperatures extending just about from coast to coast. In fact, the warmth across the Desert Southwest, northern Rockies and the northern Plains will continue to be near or above record levels for the next couple of days. Meanwhile, near and slightly above normal temperatures across the eastern U.S. into the Deep South will make for very pleasant autumn weather. However, a major change in the upper-level pattern is in store for the western U.S. as a low pressure system is forecast to develop across the interior sections on Friday. The cold air associated with a deepening upper trough is expected to change rain to wintry precipitation especially for the mountainous terrain on Friday from the Sierra Nevada to interior Oregon and parts of Nevada behind an active cold front. Meanwhile, a surge of cold air from Canada will bring wintry precipitation into northwestern Montana. Mainly rain will spread from northwest to southeast across the Pacific Northwest through tonight and into the Intermountain region on Thursday. But as the aforementioned cold upper trough moves quickly toward northern California Thursday night, rain is forecast to change over to snow for the interior mountains. Over the northern and central High Plains, blustery winds combining with very warm and dry conditions will raise the fire risk across the area into Thursday. Across southern Florida, the chance of tropical downpours and thunderstorms will gradually increase during the next couple of days as a long fetch of Atlantic moisture north of an old stationary front will lift northward as Eta is forecast to move back over the northwestern Caribbean Sea and regenerate. Please refer to the National Hurricane Center for the latest on Eta. Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php