Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 440 AM EDT Thu Apr 24 2014 Valid 12Z Thu Apr 24 2014 - 12Z Sat Apr 26 2014 ...The threat for severe weather will set up across the Lower and Middle Mississippi Valley today... ...Rain and mountain snow will be commonplace out West through the end of the week... A stormy weather pattern will remain in place across the U.S. with three significant storm systems to impact the lower 48. One of these systems is ongoing near New England this morning in the form of a slow moving low pressure center. While the storm's effects are mostly offshore at this point, Maine will continue to feel the effects today with breezy winds along with rain and possibly snow showers mixing in near higher elevations. The immediate hazardous weather concern will be across the Mississippi Valley later today ahead of a cold front with a threat for tornadoes, large hail and strong straight line winds according to the Storm Prediction Center. Locally heavy rain will accompany thunderstorms near the cold front but large scale flooding should not be an issue. Outside of New England, much of the East Coast will see pleasant Spring weather today but rain will move into the region for Friday in connection with the advancing cold front. Temperatures will warm quickly across the Southern and Central Plains for Friday and Saturday out ahead of another storm system moving into the western United States. An upper level trough will amplify across the West on Friday while a cold front slowly moves through the Intermountain region. Scattered rain showers will change to snow showers, mostly across the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevada and Sawtooth ranges where locally heavy snowfall is likley. Lower elevations out West will stay mostly rain, with snow mixing in depending on elevation. As the upper level disturbance continues east on Saturday, the beginning of an active severe weather setup appears likely, with threats continuing through the weekend. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php