Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 351 AM EDT Sun Mar 24 2024 Valid 12Z Sun Mar 24 2024 - 12Z Tue Mar 26 2024 ...High-impact winter storm continues across portions of the Northern/Central Plains and Upper Midwest through early week... ...Excessive Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorm threatens Southern Plains to Southeast... ...Critical Fire Weather for Central/Southern High Plains today; frigid airmass descends into Great Plains... A potent closed low will continue fueling a powerful and dynamic winter storm across the Great Plains and Upper Midwest over the next couple days. Heavy snow will expand into the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest today and continue into Tuesday. Heavy snow is also expected in parts of the Central Plains tonight and Monday. There is a high chance (>70%) of at least 8 inches of snow extending from northern Nebraska and central South Dakota northeastward to central Minnesota and northwestern Wisconsin. Heavy snow and gusty winds will produce areas of blowing and drifting snow and possible blizzard conditions today into Monday. Hazardous travel and road closures are expected late today into early week. Strong winds and heavy, wet snow on trees and power lines may damage trees and cause power outages. Wind gusts over 50 mph today may result in power outages, blowing dust with reduced visibility, difficult travel and property damage. Critical Fire weather conditions are forecast in portions of the Southern Plains today, where Red Flags are also in effect. Anomalously cold air will filter in behind the winter storm, spilling out into Montana today then the Great Plains through early week. High temperatures in the 20s and 30s across the High Plains over the next couple days will be 15-30 degrees below average. Excessive Rainfall and Severe Thunderstorms are possible within the warm sector of the aforementioned dynamic winter storm over the next couple days. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected across portions of the Central/Southern Plains today. There's a Slight Risk (level 2/5) of Severe Thunderstorms over parts of central Kansas into northern-central Oklahoma this afternoon through evening where isolated to scattered severe storms could produce large hail and a few tornadoes. Showers and thunderstorms develop over the Mississippi Valley on Monday as the winter storm moves into the Plains and a southern stream system organizes along the Gulf Coast. The combination of these two systems may produce heavy to Excessive Rainfall, as well as scattered Severe Thunderstorms from the central Gulf Coast up into the Middle Mississippi Valley. There are Slight Risks of Excessive Rainfall (level 2/4) and Severe Thunderstorms (level 2/5) for these areas. A few tornadoes and damaging winds are possible Monday through Monday night from parts of east Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Kebede Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php