Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 247 PM EST Mon Mar 07 2016 Valid 00Z Tue Mar 08 2016 - 00Z Thu Mar 10 2016 ...Heavy snow possible for the California mountains... ...Severe thunderstorms and flash flooding possible for portions of the southern/central plains and lower/middle Mississippi valley... ...Above average temperatures expected from the central and northern plains to the Northeast... Widespread showers and a few thunderstorms developed earlier today across much of the West Coast as a low pressure system began to push inland. Lower elevation rain and mountain snow will persist into the evening hours as the system tracks further inland. Periods of heavy snow will taper off for areas of higher terrain, particularly for the Sierras, San Gabriels, and the San Bernardino Mountains. The West Coast will have a few hours of reprieve before the next round of precipitation begins. Another front will approach the Pacific Northwest by Tuesday afternoon, spreading rain and mountain snow into the northwestern states. An additional 3 to 5 inches of liquid moisture is forecast for coastal areas of Washington to northern California through Thursday evening. The higher elevations of the Olympic Range could have 3-day snowfall amounts ranging from 1 to 2 feet. Other ranges across the Intermountain West will likely have accumulations less than 8 inches. Active weather can be expected from the southern Great Plains to the lower Great Lakes as warm, moist air streams northward from the Gulf of Mexico ahead of an approaching cold front in the Plains. Temperatures this afternoon were 15 to 30 degrees above average across much of the Central and Northern Plains. Conditions will be favorable for the development strong to severe thunderstorms over the next few days across portion of the Western Gulf Coast, Lower Mississippi Valley, Southern Plains and Central Plains as the upper-level low develops across northern Mexico, causing the eastward movement of the frontal boundary across the plains to slow.. The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted portions of Texas, Oklahoma and Louisiana with a slight risk - with south Texas having an enhanced risk on Tuesday. Some of these storms will likely produce heavy rainfall, therefore flash flooding will be possible Tuesday and Wednesday from the Texas to Illinois. The Weather Prediction Center has issued Excessive Rainfall Outlooks for the Southern/Central plains and Midwest/Middle Mississippi Valley. The warm temperatures will spread east on Tuesday, with afternoon high temperatures forecast to be 10 to 25 degrees above average from the Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and portions of the Northeast. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php