Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 221 AM EST Sun Mar 06 2016 Valid 12Z Sun Mar 06 2016 - 12Z Tue Mar 08 2016 ...Heavy rain and mountain snow expected to continue for portions of the West Coast states... ...Warm temperatures expected for much of the central U.S... ...Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding possible across portions of the southern plains Monday... A strong Pacific frontal system will continue to bring rain and snow to much of the western U.S. today as the cold front moves into the interior western U.S. Heavy rain will be possible for portions of California today, with heavy snow possible for the Sierras. By Sunday night into early Monday morning, another frontal system will move into the West Coast from the Pacific, increasing rain and mountain snows once again. Through Monday afternoon, total snowfall amounts of 1 to 3 feet are possible in the Sierras -- with snowfall accumulations at the highest elevations possibly approaching 5 feet. At the lower elevations, additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are forecast from California northward into the Pacific Northwest. By Monday night into Tuesday, the system will evolve into a closed upper-level low across the southwestern U.S. and northwestern Mexico. This will keep scattered rain and snow across the southwestern U.S. into Tuesday. The system crossing the western U.S. today will reach the central U.S. on Monday. Prior to the arrival of this system, temperatures will be well above average once again today across much of the central U.S. Afternoon high temperatures today are forecast to be 15 to 30 degrees above average across much of the central and northern plains. These warm temperatures will expand east into the Great Lakes and Ohio valley on Monday. As the approaching low pressure system moves from the Rockies into the plains by Monday, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will begin to overspread much of the central U.S. as southerly flow increases. Scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms are forecast on Monday across much of the central U.S. Across the southern plains, the Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a slight risk of severe thunderstorms on Monday. Additionally, flash flooding will also be possible across portions of the southern plains. The weather pattern will be rather slow to change, with showers and thunderstorms persisting across the central U.S. into Tuesday and spreading into the Mississippi valley. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php