Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 349 PM EDT Wed Mar 13 2019 Valid 00Z Thu Mar 14 2019 - 00Z Sat Mar 16 2019 ...Major winter storm is ongoing across the Rockies and spreading into the Plains... ...Severe weather and flash flooding possible in the Lower Mississippi Valley through Wednesday night... ...High winds are another threat with this storm system, particularly in the High Plains... ...Cooler than average in the West behind the storm and warmer than average in the East ahead of it... A deep surface low in the Central Rockies has rapidly intensified in association with a strong mid- to upper-level low. On the backside of the surface low to the west and north, heavy snow is likely to continue across the Central/Northern Plains. A swath of 6 to 12 inches of snow is likely from Wednesday evening through Thursday particularly in central portions of the Dakotas. Widespread blizzard conditions are likely in the Central and Northern High Plains as high winds are a major threat there, which will create blowing and drifting snow and very low visibilities. Extremely dangerous travel and power outages are expected. Along and east of the cold front associated the low, rain and thunderstorms are expected. Through Wednesday night, severe thunderstorms and flash flooding are forecast in the Lower Mississippi Valley--Slight Risks of severe weather and excessive rainfall are in place from the Storm Prediction Center and here at the Weather Prediction Center, respectively. On Thursday, the thunderstorm threat will move eastward into the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and additional severe weather is possible along with locally heavy rain and isolated flash flooding. Additionally, flooding is possible in the Upper/Middle Mississippi Valley, where rain falling on a deep snowpack could cause rapid melting. Behind the cold front, high winds are ongoing in association with the tight pressure gradient from the deep surface low. High Wind Warnings are widespread throughout parts of the Southern and Central Plains, and Wind Advisories are in place throughout the Intermountain West and Southwest, and farther east through the Mississippi Valley and parts of the Ohio Valley. Colder than average temperatures will spread from the western half of the U.S. into the central U.S. as the storm system moves eastward. Ahead of it, warm temperatures are forecast for the eastern half of the U.S. on Thursday, with high temperatures 15 to 25 degrees above average in the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes region. Many record warm minimum temperatures are forecast to be set along the Eastern Seaboard Friday morning. In the West on the other hand, high temperatures of 15 to 30 degrees below average in the Rockies and High Plains through the end of the workweek. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php