Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 256 AM EST Tue Feb 28 2017 Valid 12Z Tue Feb 28 2017 - 12Z Thu Mar 02 2017 ...Severe weather likely across portions of the central and eastern U.S.... ...Record warmth expected from the Midwest to the East Coast... ...Enhanced wildfire danger across the southern Rockies to the southern Plains today... Unseasonably warm temperatures will be in place today from the southern Plains into the Midwest ahead of a strong cold front. High temperatures will range from the 60s and 70s from the Ohio Valley through the mid-Mississippi Valley eventually reaching the 90s across south Texas. These temperatures will be a good 10 to 25 degrees above late February averages. Besides warm temperatures, other ingredients will be present today to support a threat for severe weather of all types from the ArkLaTex into the Ohio valley, including tornadoes, large hail, damaging straight line winds and flash flooding. The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted locations from central Arkansas to much of Indiana with an enhanced risk of severe storms for today through tonight. Farther south and west, high winds and low relative humidity across the southern to central High Plains will support a wild fire threat today behind a dryline which will extend north to south across central Oklahoma and Texas. Winds could gust to 60 mph from eastern New Mexico into parts of west Texas. As the strong cold front advances east for Wednesday, the anomalously warm temperatures and severe weather threat will shift east, affecting locations from the lower Mississippi Valley to the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic states. Temperatures are forecast to break daily high temperature records for today and Wednesday in advance of the cold front. Temperatures will only fall to near average behind the cold front as the very cold air is locked up in northern Canada for the time being. Winter weather in the form of light to locally moderate snow will affect portions of the upper Mississippi Valley into the northern Great Lakes region late tonight. Rain is forecast to change to snow as colder air filters in behind a strengthening surface low tracking from the Midwest into southern Ontario. Accumulations should be focused from southern Wisconsin into Michigan storm totals are expected to be largely below 6 inches through Thursday morning. After light coastal rain and mountain snow for the Northwest today, the remainder of the West Coast will see a break from precipitation through the middle of the week. Temperatures will continue to be near or below average with the next round of noteworthy precipitation expected to reach the Pacific Northwest toward week's end. Otto Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php