Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 339 AM EDT Wed May 06 2015 Valid 12Z Wed May 06 2015 - 12Z Fri May 08 2015 ...Severe thunderstorms possible across portions of the southern and central plains... ...Flash flooding possible across portions of the central U.S... The weather pattern will remain active across the contiguous U.S. through the short range forecast period. An upper-level disturbance will move from Colorado this morning northeastward into the northern plains by this evening. At the same time, a cold front will cross the northern Intermountain states this morning before moving into the northern plains by this evening. Moist and unstable air will continue to stream northward across the central U.S. Aided by the upper-level disturbance and a dry line at the surface, showers and thunderstorms will once again be widespread today across the central U.S., from the southern plains northward to the Canadian border. This general weather pattern will continue into Thursday, albeit shifted somewhat eastward, with showers and thunderstorms once again from the southern plains northward to the Midwest. The Storm Prediction center is forecasting a slight risk of severe thunderstorms today across portions of the southern and central plains. Please refer to products issued by SPC for further details on the severe weather threat. In addition to the severe weather, heavy rain and flash flooding will be a possibility across much of the central U.S. Showers and thunderstorms will also be common across the Rockies and Intermountain West today as a west to east oriented frontal boundary remains in place across the region. By Wednesday night into Thursday, colder air will work its way into the Intermountain West, and snow levels will lower somewhat across the northern Intermountain states -- nonetheless, snow will remain confined to the higher terrain. Farther east, a frontal boundary draped from the Ohio valley to the Mid-Atlantic states will once again serve as a focus for shower and thunderstorm potential today. This front will dissipate by Thursday, and the potential for showers and thunderstorms across these areas will decrease as well. An area of low pressure off the coast of Florida today will drift slowly northward toward the Carolinas over the next couple days. This system will bring the possibility of showers and thunderstorms to the Florida Peninsula today and to coastal portions of the Carolinas on Thursday. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php