Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 151 PM EST Thu Jan 25 2024 Valid 00Z Fri Jan 26 2024 - 00Z Sun Jan 28 2024 ...Another round of heavy rains to affect the Lower Mississippi Valley/Central Gulf coast, but drier weather on the way... ...Icing and snow possible across northern New England/far northern New York State Friday... ...Above average temperatures across much of the nation over the next few days, with numerous record high morning lows possible along both the west and east coasts... A continued very wet weather pattern on tap for potions of the country from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Central Gulf coastal region. A series of storm systems has already produced very heavy rainfall totals from eastern Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley over the past few days, with at least one more heavy rainfall event in store Friday into Saturday before a much needed drier pattern develops for the end of the weekend into next week. The current heavy rains falling across portions of the central Gulf coast into the Tennessee Valley Thursday afternoon will be diminishing this evening as the area of precipitation continues to pull off to the northeast, affecting areas from the Ohio Valley/Lower Great Lakes into the Northeast and New England. This dry period will be short lived, however, as the next storm system begins to develop Friday evening/night over eastern Texas and moves into the Lower Mississippi Valley/Central Gulf coastal regions Saturday. Additional widespread heavy rains likely from the Central Gulf Coast, northward into the Lower Mississippi and Tennessee Valley. With soils saturated and stream flows well above average, the expected additional rainfall will pose a flooding threat across portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley and Central Gulf coast. Flood watches are currently in effect across much of this region. In addition to heavy rain and flooding threat, severe thunderstorms are also possible Friday night into Saturday across these areas. The active wet weather pattern is also helping to support much above average temperatures across large portions of the nation over the next few days. The morning low temperatures are expected to be especially anomalous over the next few days with the potential for widespread record high minimum temperatures Friday, Saturday and Sunday morning across large portions of the east and Saturday and Sunday morning along large portions of the West coast. The warmer than average temperatures having also been producing widespread foggy conditions from the Mid-West, Lower Great Lakes into the Northeast as the warm air moves over cooler ground/snow covered grounds. This will likely continue again Thursday night into early Friday with dense fog advisories currently in effect across these regions. In this mild weather pattern, winter weather will be mostly absent from the Lower 48. An exception will be across portions of northern New England from Maine into New Hampshire, Vermont, far western Massachusetts and far northern New York State where ice and snow are possible. The heaviest snows are expected across central Maine into far northern New Hampshire and far northeast Vermont where totals of 4 to 6 inches are possible. Freezing rain totals of .10"+ are possible across large portions of New Hampshire, Vermont, far western Massachusetts and far northern New York State. Oravec Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php