Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 349 PM EDT Fri Apr 11 2014 Valid 00Z Sat Apr 12 2014 - 00Z Mon Apr 14 2014 ...A relatively quiet pattern to start will transition across the middle of the country with major changes this weekend... From coast to coast, the contiguous U.S. looks pleasant to start off the weekend with no major storm systems but that begins to change by the time Sunday arrives. A strong cold front will bring 24 hour temperature falls to the Central Plains between Saturday and Sunday on the order of 20 to 30 degrees Fahrenheit. A moderate snowstorm is expected for the higher terrain of the Central to Northern Rockies, with light snow spreading into the Central Plains. South of the light snow, severe storms will be possible on Saturday from portions of Nebraska and Kansas into the Chicago metro region, with the severe risk spreading south for Sunday. A building upper level ridge over the eastern Pacific will allow colder temperatures from Canada to quickly push into the North Central U.S. during the day on Saturday. At the leading edge of this cold air will be a strong cold front, expected to reach the Texas Panhandle Saturday evening. The cold front will be a focus for thunderstorms, some of which may be severe according to the Storm Prediction Center, on Saturday and Sunday, with the larger risk appearing to be Sunday across a sizable portion of the lower Southern Plains into the Lower and Middle Mississippi Valley. The approach of an upper level system into the Southern Plains by Sunday will help increase southerly flow in the lower levels of the atmosphere allowing dewpoints to rise to near 60 F across the Midwest. These higher dewpoints will come with the potential for heavy rain within embedded thunderstorms which could pose a risk for flooding from northeastern Kansas into northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin on Sunday. Over the Northeast and northern Mid-Atlantic regions, a weak cold front will sag southward this evening into Saturday morning bringing scattered showers with embedded thunderstorms. Any lingering rainfall will have moved offshore by mid-morning. Temperatures across the entire region will warm nicely this weekend into the 60s and 70s, however, a round of steady rain will approach northern New England on Sunday ahead of a low pressure area from the Great Lakes. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php