Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 331 AM EDT Wed Mar 20 2024 Valid 12Z Wed Mar 20 2024 - 12Z Fri Mar 22 2024 ...Snow showers and gusty winds forecast throughout the Northeast over the next few days... ...Light to moderate snow spreads from the northern Plains to the Great Lakes by Friday... ...Shower and thunderstorm chances return to the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast... A rapidly deepening low pressure system maturing over eastern Maine early Thursday is anticipated to produce periods of snow across the Interior Northeast and New England, while also reinforcing lake effect snow showers in its wake. High probabilities (80-90%) for at least 4 inches of snow exist across much of northern and central Maine, with lower probabilities extending into northern Vermont, New Hampshire, and Upstate New York. Gusty westerly winds up to 50 mph are also possible across parts of Vermont and Maine on Thursday as the potent storm system creates a tight pressure gradient over the Northeast. Additionally, the cold and dry airmass in place combined with gusty winds will create fire weather danger throughout the Mid-Atlantic. Red Flag Warnings have been issued across much of Virginia. A separate winter storm is anticipated to produce a swath of snow between the northern Plains and Great Lakes by the end of the week, with snow beginning today across the northern High Plains. A wave of low pressure developing over a lingering stationary front will help trigger the developing precipitation shield and shift snowfall eastward by Thursday night. High probabilities for at least 4 inches of snow exist across northwest Montana, with medium to high probabilities (40-80%) extending from north-central Montana to central Minnesota, including southern South Dakota. Greater chances for moderate to heavy snow shifts to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes by Friday, where there is the potential for up to 10-12 inches of snow. Residents should remain weather aware and up to date with the latest forecast as uncertainty remains regarding the exact location of heavy snowbands. Elsewhere, unsettled weather is set to return to the southern Plains, Gulf Coast, and parts of the West Coast. An upper low lingering over the Southwest is expected to finally eject into the southern Plains tonight and spark showers and thunderstorm over portions of Oklahoma and Texas. By Thursday, rain could become heavy enough along the western Gulf Coast and southeast Texas to produce isolated flooding concerns. This system is forecast to progress eastward into the Gulf of Mexico on Friday, spreading showers and thunderstorms along the entire Gulf Coast, as well as eventually Florida and the Southeast by late Friday. However, both the severe and flooding threat associated with this system remain marginal. For the West Coast, light to moderate rain is expected to move inland across northern California and the coastal Midwest on Friday. As the axis of precipitation along a frontal boundary intersects the Sierra on Friday night, heavy snow is possible throughout the mountainous terrain. Snell Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php