Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 359 PM EDT Wed Apr 07 2021 Valid 00Z Thu Apr 08 2021 - 00Z Sat Apr 10 2021 ...Heavy rain and the potential for severe thunderstorms are expected for portions of the central and eastern U.S. through Friday... ...Snow is likely in the Cascades and Northern Rockies as frontal systems pass through tonight through Friday... ...Elevated to Critical Risks of fire weather remain in place in and around New Mexico... ...Seasonably warm temperatures forecast for portions of the Midwest and Northeast as well as the Southern Plains... A surface low pressure system over the central U.S. is forecast to continue to move slowly to the northeast through the Middle/Upper Mississippi Valley over the next couple of days, sweeping a cold front slowly eastward across the Middle/Lower Mississippi Valley and toward the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys. Widespread moderate to heavy rain along with severe thunderstorms are likely with this system ahead of the cold front. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight to Enhanced Risk of severe weather for tornado, wind, and hail threats centered over the Lower Mississippi Valley through tonight. Some locations in that region could also receive a couple inches of rain, and, given the wet ground conditions there, there is a Marginal Risk of localized flooding and flash flooding through tomorrow morning. As the cold front pushes slowly eastward, portions of the central Midwest and Southeast will see increasing chances of rain and severe storms on Thursday, with a broad Marginal Risk for severe weather in place. Thunderstorm chances will continue ahead of the cold front further into the Southeast through Friday. Rain and thunderstorms are also likely farther north of the low across the Upper Midwest southeast to the Mid-Atlantic and Carolinas where draping stationary fronts reside through the next few days. On Friday, severe thunderstorms are forecast again for the Southern Plains and Southeast ahead of a dryline across central Texas and warm front extending east through the Lower Mississippi Valley. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk of severe weather for portions of Texas east to the Lower Mississippi Valley. Heavy rain is also possible across the Lower Mississippi Valley as well, with a Slight Risk of Flooding Friday night. In the northwestern U.S., upper-level energy and frontal systems are expected to move through tonight into Thursday, which will produce cooler than normal temperatures there as well as wintry precipitation chances. Snow totals should be highest in the Washington Cascades, which are forecast to see over a foot of snow through tonight with additional snow forecast for Friday. The Northern Rockies in Idaho and Montana can expect up to 6 inches of snow in higher elevations through Friday morning. Lighter snow amounts are possible in Wyoming on Friday behind the cold front as it continues eastward. In the Southwest and Southern High Plains, warm temperatures are forecast along with gusty winds and low relative humidity values, and this combination will lead to the potential for continued dangerous fire weather conditions. The Storm Prediction Center has outlined a Critical Risk of fire weather for portions of New Mexico through tonight, with an Elevated Risk for portions of eastern Arizona, much of New Mexico, and southwestern Texas Thursday. In general, most of the contiguous U.S. should see above normal temperatures over the next few days, with the exceptions being the Northwest (as mentioned) and central portions of the Plains and Mississippi Valley underneath the upper low. The Great Lakes region can expect high temperatures to be around 15 to 25 degrees above normal today, and a few daily records could be set. The Desert Southwest and southern Texas will experience temperatures in the 90s and nearing 100 degrees over the next few days. Tate/Putnam Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php