Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 357 PM EDT Wed Mar 25 2020 Valid 00Z Thu Mar 26 2020 - 00Z Sat Mar 28 2020 ...Critical fire weather threat continuing Wednesday through Friday across the Southern and Central High Plains... ...Heavy rainfall and strong to severe thunderstorm threat emerges by Friday across the Southern/Central Plains and eastward through the Ohio Valley... ...Much above average temperatures expected across the southern tier of the nation... The fire weather threat across the Southern and Central High Plains will continue through Friday as strengthening winds, with gusts as high as 55 to 60 mph, above average temperatures, and low relative humidities are expected. Red Flag Warnings are currently in effect from eastern New Mexico to northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska. An area of low pressure along a cold front pushing eastward across the Upper Great Lakes this afternoon will continue to bring a threat for snow to mainly parts of the U.P. of Michigan through tonight. Accumulations of 2 to 4 inches is possible. Behind this, expect cooler air to filter in across the Northern Plains/Upper Midwest with daytime highs Thursday 10 to 20 degrees below normal in some places. Upper level trough pushing through the Western U.S. today and through Friday will keep conditions unsettled across the Rockies and Central Great Basin. Widespread light to moderate precipitation should continue across these areas with locally heavy snows possible in the higher terrain. Additional showers and mountain snows are expected to return to the Pacific Northwest late Thursday into Friday associated with an area of disturbed weather moving towards the Pacific coast. By Friday, the forecast shows a surface low ejecting from the Rockies as a slow moving frontal boundary sets up across the Ohio Valley into the Central Plains. Showers and thunderstorms will likely expand in coverage across the area and into the Southern Plains on Friday. Locally heavy rainfall is possible, as well as strong to severe thunderstorms. The Storm Prediction Center indicates a slight chance for severe weather across eastern portions of Kansas and Oklahoma and far western Missouri on Friday and Friday evening. South of the frontal boundary draped from the Mid-Atlantic westward will be warm, with much above average temperatures expected to persist through the short range period. Daytime highs well into the 80s to near 90 can be expected from the Southern Plains to the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and the Southeast. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php