Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 331 AM EDT Thu May 07 2015 Valid 12Z Thu May 07 2015 - 12Z Sat May 09 2015 ...Severe thunderstorms possible today for portions of the central and southern plains... ...Area of low pressure will bring showers and thunderstorms to coastal portions of the Southeast... A cold front will move across the central and northern plains today, with showers and thunderstorms expected along and ahead of the front. A dry line across the southern plains will also serve as a focus for the development of showers and thunderstorms. The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a slight risk of severe thunderstorms today and tonight across portions of the central and southern plains. Please refer to products issued by SPC for further details on the severe weather threat. Locally heavy rain will also be possible in any thunderstorms across the central U.S. On Friday the cold front will move into the Midwest and Upper Great Lakes, with the potential for showers and thunderstorms in these areas. The southern plains will stay active with thunderstorms on Friday as the dry line remains in place and the surface front slows or becomes stationary. Cooler air will move into the northern plains behind the cold front, with high temperatures by Friday forecast to be 5 to 10 degrees below average. The tail end of the same surface frontal boundary extends westward across the Rockies and Intermountain West. This frontal boundary along with an upper-level low digging into the Southwest will keep much of the western U.S. active with precipitation over the next couple of days. Showers and thunderstorms will be possible, with snow at the higher elevations. Temperatures across the southwestern U.S. will be 5 to 15 degrees below average due to the colder air associated with the upper-level low across the region. An area of low pressure off the southeastern U.S. coastline early this morning will drift slowly northward over the next couple days, bringing showers and thunderstorms to eastern portions of the Carolinas through Friday. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php