Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 355 AM EDT Thu Oct 06 2016 Valid 12Z Thu Oct 06 2016 - 12Z Sat Oct 08 2016 ...Hurricane Matthew expected to move across the Bahamas today as it approaches the Florida coast... ...Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain possible across the Plains on today... ...Snow expected along the northern and central Rockies... Hurricane Matthew is currently located just east-southeast of the Bahamas and is forecast to track toward West Palm Beach, Florida by tonight. Matthew is expected to turn northward and parallel the coast, reaching Jacksonville, Florida by Friday night and then taking a hard turn eastward skirting the South Carolina coast on Saturday. South Florida will begin seeing heavy rainfall associated with Matthew this afternoon - heavy rainfall will spread up the coast to the Georgia coast through Friday. South Carolina will also see an increase in precipitation by Friday afternoon. For the most current track and intensity of Hurricane Matthew and the impacts associated with wind and storm surge, see the National Hurricane Center (www.hurricanes.gov). Inland and coastal flooding may occur as the hurricane skirts the Florida and Georgia coasts - 3 to 10 inches will be possible over the next few days along the Florida to North Carolina coasts, with isolate much higher amounts possible. The central portions of the U.S. will scattered to widespread showers and thunderstorms over the next couple of days. A strong upper-level low is expected to dig across the northern tier states, resulting in a strong surface front to move through the central/northern Plains and the Upper Midwest. Conditions will be favorable this afternoon and evening for severe thunderstorms to fire up along and ahead of the front, from Oklahoma to Iowa. The Storm Prediction Center projects the more intense storms will initialize from northeast Kansas to southwest Iowa. This area has an enhanced risk through early Friday morning. Periods of heavy rainfall will also be possible across this same area. This same upper-level low will generate snow showers across much of the higher elevations of the northern and central Rockies today--especially across Colorado and Wyoming. These snow showers will begin to taper off by Friday as the upper level low finally moves eastward toward the Great Lakes. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php