Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
224 PM EDT Thu Mar 17 2016

Valid 00Z Fri Mar 18 2016 - 00Z Sun Mar 20 2016

...Severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rain possible across portions of
the Gulf Coast states...

...Heavy snow possible for portions of the Wyoming and Colorado Rockies as
well as the Front Range...

...Colder temperatures on the way for much of the central and eastern U.S.
by Saturday...

A stationary frontal boundary extending from Texas across the Gulf Coast
states to the southeastern U.S. will keep scattered to numerous showers
and thunderstorms in the picture into Friday. The Storm Prediction Center
is forecasting a slight to enhanced risk of severe thunderstorms through
tonight from portions of northeastern Texas to southern Alabama and the
western Florida Panhandle. Please refer to products issued by SPC for
further details on the severe weather threat. By Saturday morning a wave
of low pressure will develop along the front across the lower Mississippi
valley, which will keep showers and thunderstorms possible into Saturday.
Locally heavy rainfall will be possible across the Gulf Coast as well, due
to the potential for multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms over the
same areas. 1 to 3 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts, are
possible across much of the Gulf Coast through Saturday.

Two cold fronts, both ushering in a colder polar air mass, will move
across the central and eastern U.S. through Friday. One frontal system
will bring a mix of scattered rain and snow showers to much of the Great
Lakes this evening, before coming to an end Friday morning. Scattered
showers and thunderstorms are possible ahead of the front across the
Northeast into this evening. As the cold front moves into the region
tonight, rain will mix with or change to snow by Friday morning across
much of the Northeast. Snowfall amounts should be generally light, with 1
to 3 inches possible at the higher elevations of the Northeast as well as
the central Appalachians.

The other frontal system will move across the central plains and portions
of the Rockies tonight into Friday. This system will bring the potential
for heavy snow to portions of the Colorado and Wyoming Rockies as well as
the Front Range tonight into Friday. Snowfall amounts of 6 to 12 inches
are possible, with 1 to 2 feet possible at the highest elevations. A mix
of rain and snow will also fall across portions of the central plains as
colder air moves into that region behind the front.

While above average temperatures are expected across much of the East
Coast once again on Friday -- a colder air mass will move into much of the
central and eastern U.S. by Saturday, in the wake of the cold front.
Afternoon high temperatures on Saturday are forecast to be 5 to 10 degrees
below average across much of the central and eastern U.S., with some areas
of the southern plains 10 to 20 degrees below average.


Ryan

 
Graphics available at <a href="http://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php"><u>www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php</u></a>