Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 230 AM EST Thu Feb 22 2024 Valid 12Z Thu Feb 22 2024 - 12Z Sat Feb 24 2024 ...Pleasantly mild across most of the country through the end of the week... ...Showers and thunderstorms from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley on Thursday... Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop across the Ohio Valley and the Mid-South during the day on Thursday ahead of an approaching cold front. The greatest rainfall totals with this event are expected roughly from northern Kentucky to western Pennsylvania, where the combination of moisture and atmospheric forcing will be the greatest. Isolated to scattered coverage is expected across much of the Southeast U.S. and into the Mid-Atlantic region, and possibly some mixed precipitation across interior portions of the Northeast U.S. and snow for northern New England going into Thursday night and Friday. Improving weather conditions are likely by late Friday for most of the East Coast as the cold front moves offshore. It will feel more like March and early April across much of the nation to close out the week, especially across the Plains and Midwest where highs could easily be 10-20 degrees above late February averages. Widespread 60s and 70s will be common from Texas to the Deep South both Thursday and Friday, and 50 degree highs could reach as far north as southern Minnesota and southern Wisconsin on Thursday. A return to reality arrives in time for the weekend as a cold front from central Canada brings more January-like readings for the northeastern quadrant of the nation, while the Great Plains continue to remain mild. Elsewhere across the continental U.S., a mainly dry weather pattern can be expected through Saturday with perhaps a few snow showers across portions of the central and northern Rockies, and rain showers for portions of western Oregon and Washington on Thursday. There may also be a few light snow showers with the cold front crossing the Ohio Valley region Friday night and the central Appalachians on Saturday, but nothing major expected. Elevated fire weather conditions are forecast by the Storm Prediction Center across portions of southwestern Texas owing to increased winds and low humidity in the vicinity of a cold front passing though the region. Hamrick Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php