Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 221 PM EST Wed Mar 03 2021 Valid 00Z Thu Mar 04 2021 - 00Z Sat Mar 06 2021 ...A low pressure system will spread precipitation across the southwestern to south-central CONUS... ...Elevated to Critical Risks of fire weather are in place for portions of the Southwest and Southern High Plains... An area of low pressure will spread rain and snow showers across an area extending from the Southwest to the Lower Mississippi Valley tonight through Friday night. Increasing winds and dry conditions will contribute to an Elevated fire weather threat out ahead of the approaching system over much of Arizona tonight. Red Flag Warnings are in effect as well for this area. Snow is likely to spread over the Central/Southern Rockies as the system moves over the region tonight into Thursday. Between 4-8 inches of snow can be expected over the Central/Southern Rockies while some of Colorado's peaks may receive higher amounts. The fire weather threat will shift into the New Mexico-Texas border area on Thursday in the form of a Critical Fire Weather area as winds pick up ahead of the approaching system and a dryline sets up somewhere over the region. Rain and scattered thunderstorms will spread over the Central/Southern Plains on Thursday, before sliding into the Lower Mississippi Valley on Friday as the low pressure system dives down into the Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, light snow will continue over the Lower Great lakes through tomorrow, on the backside of a passing cold front. Temperatures will fall well below average over much of the Northeast and coastal Mid/Atlantic on the backside of this front. A stationary boundary draped across the Great Plains and surface ridging to the east will trap warm air over the Northern Plains for the next several days. A low pressure system will arrive over the Pacific Northwest on Thursday, bringing with it the chance for rain and mountain snow to the region and northern California. Kebede Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php