Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 233 PM EDT Thu Mar 28 2019 Valid 00Z Fri Mar 29 2019 - 00Z Sun Mar 31 2019 ...Active weather pattern across the middle of the country... ...Warming up along the East Coast Friday and Saturday, with precipitation chances increasing later on Saturday... A low pressure system will continue to develop over the Plains tonight and Friday, before shifting east into the Ohio River Valley on Saturday. This will spread precipitation from the central and northern Rockies into the Central Plains and Midwest over the next couple days. Accumulating snow is expected in higher elevations of the Rockies, with the heaviest accumulations from the Wasatch Mountains in Utah into portions of Wyoming. Some changeover to snow is possible over parts of the Great Lakes Friday Night and Saturday. Further east, thunderstorms are expected at times in the Central Plains and Midwest; isolated severe weather and flash flooding will be possible with some of the storms, particularly in parts of Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. On the south side of the low pressure system, gusty winds and very dry air over eastern New Mexico and West Texas should lead to critical fire weather conditions in some areas. Cooler weather will settle into the central U.S. in the wake of the low on Saturday. Along the East Coast, a broad area of high pressure will maintain relatively tranquil weather through Friday. On Saturday, the low pressure system in the middle of the country will begin to shift east, and precipitation chances should begin to increase toward the East Coast. Temperatures will gradually warm up on Friday and Saturday, with highs by Saturday 10-15 degrees above average in the I-95 Northeast Corridor. The West Coast will likewise see increasing broad high pressure, with moderating temperatures into the weekend. Lamers Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php