Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 344 PM EDT Wed Nov 02 2022 Valid 00Z Thu Nov 03 2022 - 00Z Sat Nov 05 2022 ...Heavy snow today along the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, and portions of the northern Rockies... ...Heavy mountain snow moving into the central Rockies on Thursday into early Friday... ...Showers and severe thunderstorms possible ahead of and along cold front tomorrow into Friday for southern Plains... ...Record high temperatures today across northern Plains and Midwest; fire weather possible due to dry and breezy conditions ...Atmospheric River will dump rain and elevated snow to parts of Pacific Northwest through Friday evening... An active end to the work week is in store for much of the country as an amplifying upper-level trough swings eastward, ushering in multitudinous weather hazards for areas west of the Mississippi River. In the wake of a potent, eastward-progressing cold front, significantly colder air will infiltrate the western United States this evening, contributing to a bout of heavy snow across higher elevations. As colder air and strong, gusty winds move further inland, this system will aid in lowering snow levels across the Cascade and Sierra Nevada ranges through tonight. By tomorrow, the mountain snows will shift eastward into the central and northern Rockies, with heavy snowfall most likely occurring at higher elevations in the central Rockies, which will lead to decreased visibility and hazardous driving conditions. Conditions will improve late Thursday night as the system moves eastward into the Plains, leading to a pleasant, albeit cold, Friday for central and western portions of the Intermountain West. As the strong storm system moves east into the central and southern Plains on Thursday, hazardous weather will occur along and ahead of the progressing cold front and developing dry line as warm, moist air surging northward from the Gulf clashes with the cooler, drier air. As a result, showers and potentially severe thunderstorms will erupt tomorrow across Texas and the central Plains before the threat shifts further east on Friday into eastern Texas and Oklahoma. As a result, the Storm Prediction Center has placed portions of the region under a Slight Risk for Severe Thunderstorms on Thursday, and an Enhanced Risk Friday, due to the potential for damaging winds, hail, and isolated tornadoes. In addition to the severe threat, anomalously moist air in conjunction with developing showers and thunderstorms along the cold front may lead to heavy rainfall rates and isolated instances of flash flooding across the Mississippi Valley and central Plains on Friday. Therefore, a Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall has been issued for the Ark-La-Tex region. Ahead of the cold front, warmer-than-average temperatures will persist across the eastern two-thirds of the country under the influence of an expansive high-pressure system centered over the Northeast. Widespread record high temperatures are forecast today across the northern Plains and Midwest, with temperatures in the mid-to-upper 70s (15â€25 degrees above average) due to a dry, southerly flow. The dry and breezy conditions will also promote fire danger across the northern and central High Plains today, with Red Flag Warnings issued for much of the region. Meanwhile, the next moisture surge from the Pacific is forecast to reach the Pacific Northwest later on Thursday, with mountain snow and lower-elevation rain rapidly overspreading the area. Rainfall amounts of 2â€6" are possible across the region, which, in unison with the recent rainfall, may lead to isolated instances of flash flooding, especially in areas with elevation. In contrast, mild and pleasant autumn weather is forecast for the eastern U.S. under the expansive high-pressure system. Russell Graphics are available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php