EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD 1210 PM EDT SAT APR 07 2018 VALID 12Z TUE APR 10 2018 - 12Z SAT APR 14 2018 ...LIGHT WINTRY WEATHER FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO THE NORTHEAST FOLLOWED BY THE POSSIBILITY OF A DEEP CYCLONE MOVING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS LATE NEXT WEEK... ...PATTERN HIGHLIGHTS/THREATS AND GUIDANCE EVALUATION/UNCERTAINTY ASSESSMENT... MODEL GUIDANCE THIS MORNING CONTINUES TO AGREE THAT THE COLD PATTERN THAT HAS BEEN DOMINANT OVER THE EASTERN TWO-THIRDS OF THE COUNTRY WILL GRADUALLY GIVE WAY TO WARMER THAN NORMAL TEMPERATURES AS THE NEW WEEK PROGRESSES. THIS IS IN RESPONSE TO THE NEXT SIGNIFICANT FRONTAL SYSTEM FORECAST TO MOVE INTO THE WESTERN U.S. NEXT THURSDAY FOLLOWED BY THE POSSIBILITY OF A DEEP CYCLONE FORMING IN THE CENTRAL PLAINS ON FRIDAY. MAJOR MODELS ARE IN VERY GOOD AGREEMENT WITH THIS OVERALL SYNOPTIC EVOLUTION THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY...WITH THE 00Z ECMWF AND 06Z GFS SOLUTIONS IN CLOSE AGREEMENT. IT APPEARS THAT HEAVY SNOW AND STRONG WINDS ARE A DISTINCT POSSIBILITY FROM THE NORTHERN ROCKIES EASTWARD ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS INTO THE UPPER GREAT LAKES FRIDAY AND SATURDAY OF NEXT WEEK WHILE STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE FARTHER SOUTH ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS INTO THE MS VALLEY. MEANWHILE...SOME LIGHT WINTRY PRECIPITATION SHOULD MOVE ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES AND INTO INTERIOR NEW ENGLAND NEXT TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY AS A COASTAL STORM SHOULD INTENSIFY JUST CLOSE ENOUGH OFF THE EAST COAST TO BRUSH THE SOUTHEAST U.S. COAST WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. MUCH OF THE GULF COAST SHOULD SEE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING OUT TO SEA BY WEDNESDAY BUT FLORIDA SHOULD SEE THE THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY BEFORE THE TRAILING COLD FRONT CLEARS SOUTHERN FLORIDA. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN COLDER THAN NORMAL ACROSS THE NORTHERN TIER THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY BUT SOME RECORD HIGH TEMPS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE DESERT SOUTHWEST TUESDAY WHERE TEMPERATURES COULD REACH THE CENTURY MARK. CONDITIONS OVER THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST WILL REMAIN UNSETTLED THROUGH NEXT SATURDAY. THEREFORE...THE WPC MEDIUM RANGE MORNING PACKAGE WAS DERIVED FROM A BLEND OF THE 06Z GFS WITH THE 00Z ECMWF...TRENDING TOWARD THEIR ENSEMBLE MEANS AS THE WEEK PROGRESSES. THE DAYS 6 AND 7 BLENDS CONSIST OF AN EQUAL BLEND OF THE DETERMINISTIC SOLUTIONS AS WELL AS THEIR ENSEMBLE MEANS OF THOSE TWO MODELS. KONG