Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 349 AM EST Fri Mar 12 2021 Valid 12Z Fri Mar 12 2021 - 12Z Sun Mar 14 2021 ...Major winter storm forecast to impact the central Rockies and central High Plains Friday evening and into much of the weekend... ...Flash flooding possible over parts of the central Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley through Saturday... ...Severe thunderstorms possible for portions of the central and southern Plains today into the weekend... ...Critical risk of fire weather for portion of southern Rockies to the southern High Plains... The stage is set for a significant winter storm to impact the central Rockies and the central High Plains as a cold upper-level low moving across the Southwest interacts with a stationary front across the central Plains during the next couple of days. The stationary front has lately become the focus for severe thunderstorms and locally heavy rain across the central Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico is lifted along the boundary. Meanwhile, the cold upper low moving into the Southwest will bring higher elevation snows from the Sierra Nevada to the Four-Corners region today, before ingesting additional Gulf moisture and then dumping more heavy rain again from the central Plains to the mid-Mississippi Valley today into early Saturday. As the weekend progresses, increasing interaction between the upper low and the stationary front is forecast to bring a significant winter storm across the central Rockies and nearby High Plains. Snowfall amounts of a couple of feet are quite possible along the Front Range of Colorado and Wyoming, while more than a foot is possible over the central High Plains. In addition, increasingly strong and gusty winds are expected to accompany the heavy snow by Sunday as the storm system is forecast to intensify more rapidly. Widespread travel impacts are likely as strong winds combined with snowfall rates of one to two inches per hour could produce near blizzard conditions. Winter Storm Watches and Warnings have been issued for the central Rockies to the central High Plains. Meanwhile, strong to severe thunderstorms are forecast to move across the southern Plains during the weekend ahead of a strong cold front associated with the intensifying low pressure system. For much of the East Coast, a taste of spring will continue today as temperatures are forecast to rise into the 60s and 70s ahead of a cold front. Meanwhile, low 80s are forecast for the Deep South into the Southeast. Colder air will then spread across the Great Lakes into the Northeast as a reinforcing cold front moves through the region Friday night into early Saturday. Some light wintry precipitation is possible over interior New England early on Sunday. In the mean time, precipitation should reach the Pacific Northwest coast and northern California early on Sunday ahead of the next Pacific frontal system. Over the southern Rockies and down into the southern High Plains, increasingly dry and gusty downslope winds south of the developing winter storm will promote elevated to critical fire danger across these areas into the weekend. Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php