Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 300 AM EST Wed Nov 18 2020 Valid 12Z Wed Nov 18 2020 - 12Z Fri Nov 20 2020 ...Precipitation likely to continue in the West today... ...Warmer than average temperatures expected for the Four Corners states to the Plains, with chilly temperatures in the East today... The main area of the contiguous U.S. that will see notable precipitation over the next couple of days is California to the Northwest, as a series of upper-level disturbances and surface fronts move through the region. Higher elevations of the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and the Northern Rockies/Sawtooth Mountains/Wind River Mountains can expect 1 to 2 feet of snow through Friday morning, and some Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect. In lower elevations and along the coast, moderate to locally heavy rain is forecast. Additionally, blustery winds are a concern, and Wind Advisories and High Wind Warnings are scattered through parts of the West Coast states toward the Great Basin. Precipitation chances should lessen by the end of the workweek as surface high pressure returns and provide a break for the unsettled West. Elsewhere, generally dry weather is expected across the U.S., though a few showers are possible along the east coast of Florida, and some light rain/snow may occur in the north-central U.S. on Thursday. Given dry, warm, and windy weather in the central U.S., fire danger will be elevated across much of the Plains today. High Wind Watches/Warnings are in place for portions of Wyoming, Red Flag Warnings are in effect for portions of eastern Colorado, and Wind Advisories are present in Oklahoma and Kansas. Ahead of the upper-level troughing in the Northwest, an upper-level ridge is forecast over the central U.S. today, which will serve to warm temperatures to 15 to 30 degrees above normal from the Four Corners states to the Plains today and stretching toward the Midwest Thursday. Daily record highs for both minimum and maximum temperatures should be scattered throughout those areas. Meanwhile along the Eastern Seaboard, a cold surface high pressure system is in place, and high temperatures are forecast to be below average by 10 to 20 degrees today. This translates to highs in the 20s for Maine, 30s for the rest of the Northeast, and 40s for much of the Mid-Atlantic. Farther south, Freeze Warnings and Frost Advisories are in effect this morning in the Southeast, and Freeze Watches are in place for eastern portions of the Carolinas stretching into southeastern Virginia for Thursday morning. Temperatures should moderate during the day Thursday and transition to warmer than normal by the end of the week as the ridge moves east. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php