Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 321 PM EDT Wed Apr 18 2018 Valid 00Z Thu Apr 19 2018 - 00Z Sat Apr 21 2018 ...Late season snowfall accumulations expected from the Middle Mississippi Valley into the Lower Great Lakes and interior New England... ...Dry and windy conditions will significantly increase the threat for wildfire production over the Four Corners into the High Plains... A compact upper low accelerating from the Middle Mississippi Valley toward the Upper Great Lakes continues to spread a mixture of wintry precipitation types to the region. While a bulk of the heavier snowfall will have concluded across northern Iowa/southern Minnesota by this evening, some lighter accumulations are likely farther east. More specifically, this will include locations from the vicinity of Chicago, Illinois eastward across the Upper Ohio Valley into a vast majority of the interior northeastern U.S. To the south of this wintry precipitation axis, a broad swath of quarter to half inch amounts of rain are possible from Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania through New York City and into Boston, Massachusetts. Regarding temperatures, readings should remain well below average across this region with anomalies in the 10 to 20 degree range. Such numbers are expected to continue into Friday with general troughing remaining in place. Another strong Pacific system is primed to move through the Desert Southwest by midday Thursday. While being a focus for snow across the Colorado Rockies with amounts in the 6 to 10 inch range over the higher peaks, the dry and windy conditions will again enhance the threat for additional wildfires. The latest Storm Prediction Center fire weather outlook highlights much of the Four Corners region into the adjacent High Plains in a critical to extreme risk for wildfire production. Expect dry, gusty winds to rush through the region as the parent cold front approaches from the west. This will ultimately enhance the threat for dust storms and intensify any active fires over the region. Some precipitation is expected, but it appears rather scattered in nature with the best organization likely north of the fire weather threat area. While these sectors of the country should remain active, it will be much quieter over other locations. Precipitation should gradually return to the Washington coast by the end of the period with the heavier activity sitting offshore on Friday afternoon. Temperatures are expected to be slightly above climatology ahead of the trough before cooler weather arrives thereafter. Rubin-Oster Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php