Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 303 PM EDT Thu Apr 14 2016 Valid 00Z Fri Apr 15 2016 - 00Z Sun Apr 17 2016 ...Heavy snow possible for portions of the Rockies and Front Range... ...Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms possible Friday for portions of the plains... A low pressure system will cross the central and northern Rockies tonight. Showers and thunderstorms will affect areas from the central Rockies to the northern High Plains ahead of the front. As the front passes, colder air will change precipitation from rain to snow across much of the central and northern Rockies by Friday morning. As the cold front continues to move into the plains Friday afternoon and evening, colder air will continue to move into the Rockies -- and snow will increase in intensity across the central Rockies as a surface low crosses the Four Corners region. Snow will continue across the central Rockies through Saturday as the low pressure system moves very slowly eastward. As a result, heavy snowfall amounts of 10 to 20 inches are possible across the central Rockies and portions of the Front Range, from Colorado into southeastern Wyoming. Rain is also forecast to mix with or change to snow across portions of the central/northern High Plains Friday night into Saturday morning. A mix of rain and snow is forecast to continue across the High Plains through the day on Saturday as the surface frontal boundary moves very little. East of the frontal boundary, a warm and unstable air mass in place across the southern and central plains will support scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms Friday and Saturday. The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a slight risk of severe thunderstorms on Friday and Saturday across portions of the southern and central plains. Additionally, heavy rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches will be possible through early Saturday evening, resulting in potential flooding for some areas. Elsewhere, high pressure will dominate the weather pattern across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast Friday and Saturday, with dry conditions, and temperatures near or slightly above average. Across the Southeast, a lingering surface frontal boundary over the northern Gulf and the Florida Peninsula along with a weakening upper-level low will result in scattered showers and thunderstorms Friday and Saturday. Ryan Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php