Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 316 PM EDT Mon Apr 14 2014 Valid 00Z Tue Apr 15 2014 - 00Z Thu Apr 17 2014 ...Locally heavy rainfall and severe storms are possible through Tuesday across much the Gulf Coast... ...Winter refuses to let go from the Great Lakes to the Northeast... Numerous showers and thunderstorms across the Deep South will continue throughout the remainder of today into Tuesday morning as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico continues to advance into the region ahead of a strong cold front. Temperatures and moisture are more typical of May ahead of this boundary, and will support the threat for locally heavy rain across most of the southern and eastern U.S. as the cold front advances through Wednesday morning. Severe storms will be possible closer to the Gulf coast where higher instability will be present. A bitterly cold air mass, at least by April standards, has settled into the central U.S. behind the strong cold front referenced above. Temperatures are running about 20 to 30 degrees below normal for this time of year, and light snow continues this afternoon behind the front across parts of the Midwest. As an area of low pressure strengthens along the front tonight in response to an upper level trough approaching from the west, snow coverage and intensity will pick up across the Ohio Valley and southeastern Michigan where a couple of inches of accumulation can be expected by Tuesday afternoon. Rain will changeover to snow Tuesday night across the Northeast where minor accumulations are possible, mostly across higher elevations where temperatures will be a bit colder. Flooding across northern New York and New England from remaining snow melt and the addition of rain will be possible on Tuesday as well. Below average temperatures will be in place across most locations on Wednesday except along the West Coast. As the next storm system passes over the central and northern Rocky Mountains into the central U.S. for Wednesday, light to moderate snow is expected from central Minnesota, eastward into the U.P. of Michigan while high temperatures remain in the 30s, which is roughly 20 degrees below normal. Across the Pacific Northwest, conditions will remain somewhat unsettled with onshore flow resulting in rain and higher elevation snow, but no major systems are on tap here through Wednesday night. Temperatures along the entire West Coast will remain close to normal for Tuesday and Wednesday. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php