Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 313 AM EST Wed Jan 02 2019 Valid 12Z Wed Jan 02 2019 - 12Z Fri Jan 04 2019 ...Heavy rain and potential flash flooding possible for Southeast Texas and into portions of the Southeast... ...Snow and ice to impact areas from New Mexico eastward into Oklahoma... A mid-level low will move across the Southwest and into the southern Plains late Wednesday night and into early Thursday morning. This will bring additional snowfall totals across higher elevations across New Mexico today--particularly where there are winter weather advisories and winter storm warnings in effect. As this low moves farther east, a quasi-stationary boundary will continue to meander along the central and western Gulf Coast through Thursday. This will bring showers and thunderstorms across Southeast and South-Central Texas in addition to portions of the lower Mississippi Valley today. By Thursday, a surface low will lift northward into the Southeast, bringing additional rainfall to parts of the western Gulf Coast, lower Mississippi Valley northward into the Tennessee Valley. By Friday morning, expect precipitation to shift eastward across most of the Southeast as the system progresses to the north and east. There is a slight chance of flash flooding from Southeast Texas into central Mississippi for today, shifting to most of Louisiana eastward into central Georgia on Thursday. In addition to the flash flooding concerns, this system will also bring hazardous weather due to wintry precipitation. As precipitation increases across Texas, the north end of this precipitation shield will produce snow and freezing rain. Ice will be a particular hazard for Central Texas northward into Oklahoma on Wednesday night and into Thursday. Furthermore, snow will also be impacting these regions--with as much as 6 inches possible along portions of the Red River Valley. These conditions will make traveling very difficult. Please see www.weather.gov for more specific information on watches, warnings, and advisories for the different regions that will be impacted by this system. As a system in the Pacific slides closer to the Pacific Northwest, rain and higher elevation snow will begin to increase by Wednesday night and into Thursday. Snow accumulations will impact the Washington Cascades, with some accumulations in the Oregon Cascades and northern portions of the Northern Rockies. In terms of temperatures, the southern Plains and Four Corners will be below normal for today and Thursday--with high temperatures being nearly 25 degrees below normal. The northern Plains and Upper Midwest will be warm on both Thursday and Friday--with temperatures reaching 20 degrees above normal. Reinhart Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php