Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 421 PM EDT Thu Mar 23 2023 Valid 00Z Fri Mar 24 2023 - 00Z Sun Mar 26 2023 ...Strong to severe thunderstorms will be a significant concern this evening and continuing through Friday night from the Southern Plains, the Mid-South, and Lower Mississippi Valley to possibly the Ohio Valley... ...Widespread heavy rain and flash flooding setting up across the Mid-Mississippi Valley and Ohio Valley this evening through Friday night... ...An intensifying low pressure system will likely bring very strong winds, heavy rain/thunderstorms into the Ohio Valley as heavy snow could develop across the Midwest into lower Michigan Saturday morning... ...Unsettled weather and chilly temperatures with locally heavy mountain snowfall to continue across the West... ...Very warm temperatures will prevail through the end of the week across much of the South through the Ohio Valley and into the Mid-Atlantic... A quasi-stationary front will be the focus for severe thunderstorms across central Texas and Oklahoma tonight. The Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms issued by the Storm Prediction Center highlights the possibility of large and potentially destructive hail, isolated severe wind gusts, or a tornado associated with this evening's threat. Abundant moisture, supplied by the Gulf of Mexico, will interact with the aforementioned quasi-stationary front, producing heavy rain and subsequent flash flooding risks from the Southern Plains to the Ohio Valley tonight. A Moderate Risk of Excessive Rainfall is in effect for much of the Ozarks region where potential 1-2 in/hr rainfall rates could cause flash flooding. A deepening upper-level trough spinning through the Southern Plains will then kick on a surface low pressure system to begin rapidly intensifying over northern Texas and into the Mid-South through Friday. The attendant cold front will become the focus for severe weather from the ArkLaTex to the Tennessee Valley Friday afternoon into the evening. A Moderate risk of Severe Thunderstorms is in effect for portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley where, according to the Storm Prediction Center, some strong tornadoes, damaging winds and hail are expected. Meanwhile, the quasi-stationary front responsible for dangerous weather tonight will be responsible for another round of heavy rainfall from the Mid-South to the Ohio Valley. There's a Moderate Risk of Excessive Rainfall from northeastern Arkansas along the Ohio River into southwestern Ohio where 2-4 inches of rainfall over primed soils and streams may cause flash flooding. Heavy snow and strong winds are likely to develop on the north side of the dynamic Mid-South/Midwest system early Saturday morning, and continue into the evening. Between 4-8 inches of snow is expected by Sunday morning from southeastern Wisconsin to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. This could lead to tricky travel across the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes region. Elsewhere, chilly temperatures persist across the West, while seasonably warm temperatures spread across the southeastern quadrant of the country through this weekend. Heavy snow blankets the western mountains over the next couple of days, as well. There's a critical fire weather area for portions of west Texas tomorrow due to dry and windy conditions. Kebede Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php