Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 457 PM EDT Mon May 05 2014 Valid 00Z Tue May 06 2014 - 00Z Thu May 08 2014 ...Accumulating snows are expected across the mountains of the Western U.S... ...Well above normal temperatures should continue over the Southern/Central Plains eastward into the Deep South and Tennessee Valley... The upper pattern for the week will quickly gain amplitude as an upper trough digs from the Pacific Northwest into the Desert Southwest through early Tuesday. Eventually the system will close off and gradually shear as several batches of energy eject into the Great Plains. The combination of lift from the upper low itself with local orographic effects will help spread light to moderate precipitation to much of the Intermountain West region and into the Northern Rockies. Surface temperatures appear to be favorable for accumulating snows, particularly during the overnight hours across the region. Of course the highest amounts will occur over the highest elevations where temperatures should remain cooler. The WPC winter weather desk suggests amounts over a foot are possible across the Tetons while a few inches are expected across the Sierra Nevada, Wasatch, and the Bighorns. As the energy slides into the High Plains, episodes of moderate rainfall are expected across the Northern Plains/Upper Midwest. As the upper flow further amplifies across the U.S., the warm front will lift northward toward the Middle Mississippi/Ohio Valleys carrying the threat for showers and thunderstorms northward into the Great Lakes region by late Tuesday/early Wednesday. The amplified pattern setting up will also support a sharp contrast in temperatures across the country. While the trough in place across the Western states will support below normal readings much of the time, well above normal temperatures are expected to continue across the middle of the country. Highs are forecast to be quite mild south of the warm front with readings well into the 90s across the Southern/Central Plains while mid to upper 80s are more commonplace east of this region. A continual feed of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will gradually raise the humidity across the middle of the country. The expansion of warm air will continue toward the north and east as the frontal boundary lifts up toward the Ohio Valley. The other major feature in the weather is the enhanced wildfire danger across the Four Corners region and into the Southern/Central Plains. A tightening pressure gradient will make conditions quite windy with relative humidity values expected to be rather low. This combination will raise the potential for wildfires with such conditions in place through at least mid-week. Rubin-Oster Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php