Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 253 AM EDT Thu Mar 14 2019 Valid 12Z Thu Mar 14 2019 - 12Z Sat Mar 16 2019 ...The strong winter storm to continue to affect portions of the Central to Northern Plains today with Blizzard conditions continuing... ...Winds will be diminishing across the Southern and Central Plains as the storm pulls away from these regions... ...Thunderstorms will bring heavy rains...isolated flooding and a severe weather threat Thursday from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys... ...Much above average temperatures likely east of the Mississippi River Thursday, across the eastern U.S. Friday... ...Much colder temperatures will spreading into the Mississippi, Tennessee and Ohio Valleys Friday and the east coast on Saturday... The intense storm across the mid section of the nation that has been responsible for heavy snows, blizzard conditions and widespread wind gusts over hurricane force will be pressing northeastward through the Upper Mississippi Valley into the Upper Great Lakes on Thursday. While the storm has reached its lowest pressure and will gradually weaken over the next few days, strong winds will continue on the west side of the storm across portions of the Central and Northern Plains. Blizzard conditions are expected to continue into the first half of Thursday over northeast Colorado and for most of the day from eastern Wyoming, across most of Nebraska, South Dakota, eastern North Dakota into northwest Minnesota. Travel will remain difficult and life threatening across these areas, with improving conditions Thursday night into Friday as the storm pushes farther off to the northeast. As the strong storm pushes northeastward today into the Upper Mississippi Valley, winds will be lessening across the Central to Southern Plains that experienced widespread wind gust over hurricane force during the past 24 hours. High wind warnings remain in effect into Thursday morning for southeast Colorado and western Kansas, but overall a much smaller area of strong wind gusts expected Thursday as the storm moves away from this region. The associated cold front with this strong storm will continue to be a focus for thunderstorm activity from the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. Heavy rains, isolated flooding and severe weather are possible with these thunderstorms across these regions. A taste of spring temperatures likely ahead of the above mentioned cold front front on Thursday for all areas to the east of the Mississippi River and for areas east of the Appalachians on Friday. Much colder temperatures expected in the wake of this front today from the Great Basin, Rockies into the Plains. These colder temperatures will be spreading eastward on Friday into the Mississippi...Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and into much of the eastern U.S. on Saturday. Oravec Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php