Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 329 AM EDT Sat Apr 20 2024 Valid 12Z Sat Apr 20 2024 - 12Z Mon Apr 22 2024 ...Heavy rain and scattered instances of flash flooding possible across the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley today... ...Light snow continues across parts of the central Rockies and central High Plains... ...Below average temperatures for much of the Nation east of the Rockies this weekend before spring warmth returns to the Plains on Monday... A lingering quasi-stationary front draped across the Southeast, Gulf Coast States, and southern Plains will be the focus for numerous showers and thunderstorms this weekend. The greatest impacts associated with this system are expected to occur today as heavy rain could lead to scattered flash flooding issues from Texas to Mississippi. Multiple rounds of potentially intense rainfall developing over saturated terrain has prompted a Slight Risk (level 2/4) of Excessive Rainfall through tonight. This area includes much of central and eastern Texas, northern Louisiana, southern Arkansas, and central Mississippi. A few isolated storms could also contain damaging wind gusts and hail throughout central/southern Texas and the Southeast. The greatest coverage of showers and thunderstorms are expected to progress eastward tonight and eventually confine to the central Gulf Coast and Southeast on Sunday, with lessening chances for flash flooding and severe thunderstorms. Light precipitation chances are also forecast to continue across other parts of the Nation through Monday. Light snow will linger throughout parts of Colorado today, where a few additional inches of accumulating snowfall are expected along the Front Range. Winter Weather Advisories remain in effect. Meanwhile, an exiting cold front today followed by a stronger cold front on Sunday night will lead to rain and snow showers traversing New England. Lastly, the next frontal system to impact the Pacific Northwest will rapidly spread showers throughout the region tonight before swiftly pushing rain chances into the northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Monday. Temperatures are anticipated to remain below average for much of the country behind the cold front extending from the Southeast to the southern Plains. This leaves the West, Southwest, and Southeast as the warm spots this weekend with highs into the 70s and 80s. As temperatures moderate on Monday and return flow enters the central U.S., below normal temperatures are expected to erode as highs into the 70s surge into the central Plains, with cooler weather remaining across the Northeast. Additionally, lows into the 30s over the next few mornings could lead to frost/freeze concerns for locations already in the growing season from the Midwest to the upper Ohio Valley. Snell Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php