Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 407 PM EDT Tue Apr 09 2019 Valid 00Z Wed Apr 10 2019 - 00Z Fri Apr 12 2019 ...Blizzard conditions expected in the Central/Northern Plains with a potent late-season winter storm... ...Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain are possible in the Central Plains to Middle Mississippi Valley south of the heavy snow... ...Extreme fire weather danger for the Southern High Plains... An upper-level trough moving through the Intermountain West and surface fronts associated with the trough will lead to heavy snow developing across the Rockies and Wasatch on Tuesday night, and up to a foot of snow is possible in higher elevations. Snow is forecast to begin spreading into the Northern Plains on Tuesday night as well. The surface low is expected to consolidate in the lee of the Rockies on Wednesday afternoon and begin tracking north and eastward through the Plains as the upper low also moves and strengthens. This will continue spreading snow to the Central/Northern Plains to the west and north of the low, and into the Upper Midwest on Wednesday. Blizzard conditions are expected as heavy and wet snow combines with strong winds. A swath of 1 to 2 feet of snow is forecast for the Central/Northern Plains and into western Minnesota through Thursday evening, with locally higher amounts. Farther south, rain and thunderstorms are likely on Wednesday in the warm air south of a strong warm/stationary front associated with the low. Currently the Storm Prediction Center has outlooked a Slight Risk of severe weather for portions of the Central Plains to the Middle Mississippi Valley, and WPC has a Marginal Risk of excessive rainfall/flash flooding for these areas. Flooding is ongoing in portions of these areas, and any additional rainfall could exacerbate the situation. Freezing rain accumulation of around a quarter of an inch is also possible along the transition zone between snow and rain. Behind the low system and an associated dryline, conditions will be favorable for fire weather throughout the Southwest and Southern/Central Plains, as high sustained winds and even higher gusts combine with very dry humidities. Through Tuesday, a Critical Risk of fire weather is in place for much of New Mexico and portions of Colorado and far western Texas, but conditions on Wednesday will be even more favorable, leading to an Extreme Risk in the Storm Prediction Center's Fire Weather Outlook for the Southern High Plains. Red Flag Warnings are widespread throughout these areas. More broadly, high winds are a threat from California through the Southwest, Intermountain West, Rockies and Plains for the next couple of days. Elsewhere, a pivoting low pressure system is forecast to continue bringing snow to northern New England through Tuesday night, where 2 to 4 additional inches is possible. Scattered thunderstorms will persist in the Southeast and Carolinas Tuesday evening, and there is a Marginal Risk of severe thunderstorms in place there. Precipitation chances will increase in the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday and into the Intermountain West by Thursday as upper-level energy moves through. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php