Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 412 PM EDT Tue May 21 2019 Valid 00Z Wed May 22 2019 - 00Z Fri May 24 2019 ...Stormy weather continues across the Plains with cool temperatures from California to New England... An active weather pattern continues to repeat itself across the U.S. as large upper-level lows periodically form over the western U.S., leading to severe weather outbreaks over the Great Plains from time to time. One such system is currently intensifying over the central Plains this Tuesday afternoon, spreading heavy rain and severe thunderstorms eastward into the mid-Mississippi Valley. The heavy rain and severe weather threats will quickly diminish on Wednesday as the system weakens and moves into the Great Lakes by Thursday. Meanwhile, the next upper-level low will begin to expand and move into the West Coast. Widespread light to moderate precipitation is expected to continue across a large section of the western U.S. for the next couple of days. The Sierra Nevada and the higher elevations of the central to northern Rockies will once again see accumulating snow. Much of the Desert Southwest and the southern Rockies should remain dry but windier than normal. With considerable clouds and precipitation under the cold upper-level lows, temperatures will remain colder to much colder than normal across the western U.S. into the north-central High Plains where readings of more than 30 degrees colder than normal is forecast. An upper-level ridge and a strong surface anticyclone will initially keep the weather generally fine along the East Coast. The cooler weather today across the Mid-Atlantic will begin to warm up during the next couple of days as some of the heat and humidity from the southeastern U.S. makes its way northward into the Ohio Valley and the Appalachians on Wednesday. A low pressure system from the Great Lakes will spread some rain eastward into the Mid-Atlantic and New England Wednesday night and Thursday, where heavy rain is not expected. However, as energy from the western U.S. upper trough ejects into the central Plains on Thursday, the chance of heavy thunderstorms will increase once again in these area by the afternoon. Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php