Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 413 AM EDT Thu Apr 15 2021 Valid 12Z Thu Apr 15 2021 - 12Z Sat Apr 17 2021 ...Appreciable snow develops today culminating early on Friday over the central Rockies into the central High Plains... ...Severe thunderstorms possible over central Texas as heavy rain moves across the central Gulf Coast region... ...Critical Fire Weather conditions expected across the southern Rockies to southern High Plains... An upper-level low over the Great Basin will lift toward the central Rockies today. This will result in snow expanding across the central Rockies today and into the central High Plains tonight. Meanwhile, a low pressure system is forecast to intensify along a front just to the south. Winds are expected to become strong and gusty by the evening as the snow continues across the region, where 6 or more inches of snow can be expected area-wide. Travel may be difficult with blowing and heavy snow at some locations during the height of the storm. The snow should gradually become light and not as widespread later on Friday into Saturday but will likely continue to linger over Colorado and northern New Mexico into Saturday morning. A quasi-stationary front near the Gulf Coast States will interact with moisture returning from the Gulf of Mexico to produce showers and thunderstorms across parts of the southern Plains to much of the Gulf Coast region and into the Southeast through Saturday morning. Severe thunderstorms will be most likely today over central Texas as an upper-level impulse moves through. These storms may be accompanied with frequent lightning, severe wind gusts, hail, and an isolated tornado. Additionally, some of the storms will produce heavy rain as a low pressure wave begins to intensify and track eastward near the central Gulf Coast region Friday into Saturday morning, where heavy rain could result in flash flooding. Meanwhile, a coastal storm associated with an upper-level low over the Great Lakes is expected to bring mainly rain across the coastal sections and the lower elevations of New England into early on Saturday. Interior sections of New England should see the rain changing over to wet snow Thursday night and then continuing into Friday as the storm intensifies. Six to locally 12 inches of snow is possible across the higher elevations of New England by Saturday morning. Some gusty winds combining with raw conditions can also be expected near the coast into Saturday morning. Over parts of the southern Rockies to the southern High Plains, dry and windy weather will make for Elevated to Critical fire weather conditions through Friday morning. Red Flag warnings are in effect for portions of the southern Rockies. Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php