Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 355 AM EDT Fri May 22 2020 Valid 12Z Fri May 22 2020 - 12Z Sun May 24 2020 ...Rain and thunderstorms expected across the Plains, with severe weather and flash flooding both possible... ...Showers, mountain snow, and below average temperatures from the Northwest into the Northern Rockies... ...Critical fire weather forecast for the Four Corners to Southern High Plains... A couple of frontal systems and a dryline are expected to help cause thunderstorms through the end of the week across the Plains. Today, thunderstorms are expected to focus in the Southern Plains to portions of the Lower/Middle Mississippi Valley. Severe weather is forecast, with an Enhanced Risk of severe weather outlooked by the Storm Prediction Center--tornadoes, high winds, and large hail are all threats. Flash flooding is possible too, and there is a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall in place. Ahead of an upper-level trough and another frontal system, storms are expected farther north on Saturday across the Northern/Central Plains. A Slight Risk of severe weather is in place, and locally heavy rainfall could cause flash flooding particularly over western South Dakota. As below normal upper-level heights take over the northwestern U.S., cold temperatures with highs 10 to 25 degrees below normal will prevail in the Northwest today and move a bit eastward toward the Northern Rockies Saturday. This will support snow falling in higher elevations of the Northern Rockies--over a foot of snow is forecast for some areas across the Absaroka Range and Wind River Mountains through Sunday morning. Farther south, dry and windy conditions are expected, which will cause fire danger over southwestern and south-central parts of the country. A Critical Risk of fire weather is expected today over portions of the Southwest to Four Corners region, and on Saturday, the focus should shift to the Southern High Plains behind a dryline. Red Flag Warnings are in effect for some of these areas, and also for much of Maine today, where low relative humidities and gusty winds are also possible. Elsewhere, a low pressure system is forecast to slowly move through the Mid-Atlantic and then offshore on Saturday, and additional rain showers are expected across much of the Eastern Seaboard through Friday night. Rain totals should be low, but any additional rain could cause issues over areas of the Southern Appalachians that have received flooding over the past few days. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php