Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 451 PM EDT Thu Mar 19 2020 Valid 00Z Fri Mar 20 2020 - 00Z Sun Mar 22 2020 ...Heavy snow likely to impact the Central Rockies while snow spreads into the Central Plains and Upper Midwest... ...Heavy rain and severe thunderstorms expected across central and eastern U.S.... ...Much above average temperatures in the east and much below average temperatures across the central U.S.... A low pressure system, which is emerging from the Rockies, will produce heavy snowfall for the Central Rockies tonight. A blizzard warning is in effect for parts of northeastern Colorado, southeastern Wyoming, southwestern Nebraska and northwestern Kansas. Snow will spread across the Central Plains and into the Upper Midwest on Friday as the system moves swiftly off into Ontario. Snowfall amounts are likely to be between 6-12 inches for the mountains of Utah and Colorado while lake effect may produce similar amounts over the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. A strong area of high pressure will build in over the Central U.S. behind the fast moving system on Friday. A slow moving cold front on the southern end of the low pressure system will produce heavy rain and severe thunderstorms for parts of the Middle Mississippi/Ohio Valleys tonight, then eastern Texas and the Lower Mississippi Valley tomorrow. As a result, SPC issued a Slight Risk of Severe Thunderstorms over the Mississippi Valley with embedded areas of Enhanced Risk over the Upper Mississippi Valley and another area over the Middle Mississippi/Ohio Valleys. Up to an inch of rain is expected for the Middle Mississippi/Ohio Valleys this evening while up to 3 inches are possible from eastern Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley through Sunday. A Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall is in effect for those areas as a result. Record high temperatures are possible across the Mid-Atlantic and Florida on Friday ahead of the low pressure system. Temperatures will be up to 25 degrees above average across the entire eastern U.S. tomorrow while the inverse will be true for the Northern/Central Plains as a powerful area of high pressure filters cold air into the Central U.S.. Temperatures will be 15-20 degrees below average for central and southern Texas on Saturday as the cold air makes its way into the Southern Plains. Much of the Southeast will remain above average through Sunday when the cold front associated with the area of low pressure crosses the region. Kebede Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php