EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD 158 AM EDT WED JUN 29 2016 VALID 12Z SAT JUL 02 2016 - 12Z WED JUL 06 2016 ...HEAVY RAIN POSSIBLE IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND MID-MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THIS WEEKEND... SUMMERTIME PATTERN WILL BE IN PLACE NEXT WEEK WITH SHORTWAVE ENERGY CONFINED TO THE US/CANADIAN BORDER AND A BROAD AREA OF 500MB HEIGHTS > 5880M SOUTH OF ABOUT 40N. MODELS AND AND ENSEMBLES CONTINUE TO SHOW GOOD SYNOPTIC AGREEMENT AND A CONSENSUS BLEND OF THE 18Z GFS/GEFS AND 12Z ECMWF/ECENS MEAN OFFERED A GOOD STARTING POINT. 12Z GFS WAS MUCH QUICKER THAN THE CONSENSUS THROUGH SOUTHERN CANADA MON/TUE AND WAS DISCOUNTED. SURFACE FRONT WILL OSCILLATE THROUGH THE SOUTHEAST, PROVIDING A FOCUS FOR PRECIPITATION, SOME OF WHICH COULD BE HEAVY FROM KANSAS THROUGH MISSOURI EASTWARD (I-70/64 CORRIDORS) THIS WEEKEND AND THEN TOWARD THE EAST COAST MIDWEEK. NORTHERN STREAM ENERGY MOVING THROUGH SOUTHERN CANADA WILL YIELD A SURFACE FRONT PROGRESSING THROUGH THE NORTHERN ROCKIES AND ONTO THE PLAINS, LIFTING A WARM FRONT TOWARD THE UPPER MIDWEST TUE/WED WHICH COULD EVENTUALLY BE ANOTHER FOCUS FOR MORE SHOWERS/STORMS. FRACASSO