Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 347 PM EDT Sun Apr 25 2021 Valid 00Z Mon Apr 26 2021 - 00Z Wed Apr 28 2021 ...Rain and snow are likely across much of the West, winding down Tuesday... ...Widespread fire danger remains a concern for the southwestern quadrant of the U.S. through Monday... An upper-level trough coming into the West, along with multiple pieces of upper-level energy and reinforcing cold fronts making their way through the region, will continue to cause precipitation and colder than average temperatures across the West over the next couple of days. Lower elevation rain and higher elevation snow are expected to slowly shift southeastward from the Northwest and Central Great Basin tonight into the Southwest on Monday and the Central/Southern Rockies on Tuesday. The snow event is ongoing in the Sierra Nevada, with additional snow likely there, and Winter Storm Warnings remain in effect. Higher elevations of the Intermountain West could also see several inches of snow, especially in the Wind River Mountains/Tetons. Then snow should increase in the Central Rockies by Tuesday as precipitation winds down in the Northwest. Additionally, precipitation is expected across the north-central U.S. north of a sharp warm front. Light mixed precipitation and snow are possible through Monday morning in northern Minnesota, Wisconsin, and Michigan in the cool temperatures. South of the warm front, high temperatures that are above average by 10 to 20 degrees are forecast for much of the central U.S. Monday, shifting toward the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley and the Eastern Seaboard by Tuesday. Elsewhere, light rain showers possibly changing to snow showers are possible in northern New England through Monday given a couple of low pressure systems in the vicinity. Rain and thunderstorms are expected to increase in the south-central U.S. on Tuesday as the cold front and trough move eastward from the West, and severe weather and flash flooding are both possibilities, so stay tuned for updates. Dry and windy conditions are persistent across the Desert Southwest into the Central Great Basin, Southern Rockies, and Southern High Plains ahead of the trough, leading to continued fire weather concerns. Widespread Red Flag Warnings are in effect for those areas through this evening, along with a Critical Risk of fire danger from the Storm Prediction Center. Some light precipitation and cooler temperatures in portions of the Southwest should positively affect that region on Monday, but another day of fire danger is expected for eastern Arizona across New Mexico and into central/southern portions of the High Plains, where there is another Critical Risk outlooked. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php