Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 355 PM EDT Wed Apr 10 2019 Valid 00Z Thu Apr 11 2019 - 00Z Sat Apr 13 2019 ...Blizzard conditions ongoing in the Central/Northern Plains with a potent late-season winter storm... ...Severe thunderstorms are forecast over parts of the Central Plains Wednesday... ...Extreme fire weather danger for the Southern High Plains... A strong low pressure system will consolidate Wednesday night in the Central Plains and move into the Mississippi Valley on Thursday night as an upper-level low strengthens as well. Heavy, wet snow will continue west and north of the surface low, and 1 to 2 feet of snow is forecast from northern Nebraska northeastward into parts of the Dakotas and Minnesota. High winds are also likely, creating blizzard conditions in the Central/Northern Plains. Difficult to impossible travel conditions and power outages are expected. Freezing rain is also a threat along the rain/snow line; a quarter of an inch of freezing rain is possible near the Iowa/Minnesota border and into Wisconsin. Farther south in the warm air ahead of the low system, rain and thunderstorms are expected. An Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms is in effect for the Central Plains in the Storm Prediction Center's outlook for Wednesday, and a Slight Risk of severe weather is expected on Thursday in parts of Illinois and Indiana. Marginal Risks of excessive rainfall/flash flooding are in place for portions of Nebraska and Iowa through Wednesday night, and for portions of the Upper Great Lakes region and Ohio Valley on Thursday. Rain and thunderstorms will spread into the Eastern Seaboard on Friday. Behind the storm 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. An Extreme Risk of fire danger is in place in the Storm Prediction Center's Fire Weather Outlook for the Southern High Plains on Wednesday. Red Flag Warnings are widespread throughout these areas, and Critical conditions are expected to continue on Thursday. More broadly, gusty winds are a threat from California through the Southwest, Intermountain West, Rockies, Plains, and Mississippi Valley for the next couple of days. The biggest threat for high winds in the Southern/Central Plains, where High Wind Warnings are in effect. Elsewhere, upper-level energy will move through the West during the period, which will cause higher elevation snow and lower elevation rain in the Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West through Thursday night, spreading into the Southwest and Southern Plains on Friday. Higher elevations of the Cascades and Northern Rockies could see 6 to 12 inches of snow through Friday. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php