Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 405 PM EDT Sat Mar 20 2021 Valid 00Z Sun Mar 21 2021 - 00Z Tue Mar 23 2021 ...A couple of rounds of precipitation/snow are forecast for the Northwest... ...Rain is expected for much of the central U.S. Sunday into Monday, with snow possible in the central High Plains... ...Mild to warm temperatures are forecast across the north-central to northeastern U.S. through Monday... An upper-level trough is forecast to move from the western to the central U.S. over the next couple of days and push a cold front slowly eastward just ahead of it at the surface, causing precipitation to develop. Through tonight, higher elevation snow and lower elevation rain are possible in the Northwest, with snow in the Central Rockies. As a low pressure system strengthens in the central High Plains, precipitation could fall as snow there Sunday into early Monday. Snow amounts of over a foot are possible in the higher elevations of the Central Rockies, while a few inches of snow could accumulate in the central High Plains. Additional upper-level energy and another cold front are expected to drop through the Northwest on Monday, causing another round of snow. Through Monday, 1-2 feet of snow are forecast for the Cascades, with over a foot in the Northern Rockies as well. Rain will develop along the cold front in the north-central U.S. Sunday, and should become more widespread by Sunday night and Monday across the Plains into the Mississippi Valley. Some thunderstorms are possible in the south-central U.S. as well. Meanwhile, the front is expected to pass through with dry conditions in the Southwest, and fire danger is a concern, with Elevated to Critical Risks in place for the southern High Plains. In the East, mainly dry conditions are expected through Monday underneath a surface high pressure system. The exception will be across the Atlantic coast from Florida to the Mid-Atlantic, where a convergent frontal zone and a strengthening surface low pressure system will develop. While the heaviest rainfall should remain offshore, showery conditions can be expected there, as well as the potential for high surf and rip currents. Cooler than normal temperatures are forecast there given the cloudiness and rain chances. Cooler than average temperatures are also expected in the western U.S. behind the cold front, spreading toward the High Plains Monday. Meanwhile, milder than average temperatures by 10-20 degrees are likely from the Northern Plains to the Northeast, with highs generally in the 50s and 60s. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php