Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 356 PM EDT Mon Oct 28 2024 Valid 00Z Tue Oct 29 2024 - 00Z Thu Oct 31 2024 ...Developing western storm to bring widespread mountain snow across portions of the central and northern Rockies Tuesday into Wednesday... ...Severe thunderstorms possible across portions of the Plains and Mississippi Valley Tuesday and Wednesday... ...Record warmth and well above normal temperatures expand into the Eastern U.S. through the latter half of the week... A strong storm system developing over the Great Basin today will bring another round of mountain snow to portions of the central and northern Rockies Tuesday into Wednesday. Antecedent warmth ahead of the storm will lead to fairly high snow levels to start, but colder air filtering in behind a potent cold front will quickly produce accumulating snowfall down to around 8000 feet by Tuesday afternoon and night. Snowfall totals will be aided by a significant tap of Pacific moisture, allowing for widespread accumulations of 6 to 12 inches with locally higher amounts across the high country of Wyoming, Colorado, and Utah. Those traveling across high mountain passes will want to check the forecast before heading out and be prepared for winter driving conditions. In the wake of the storm, freeze concerns return to some of the lower elevations of Utah and Colorado Tuesday night into Wednesday morning as a much colder air mass settles into the region. As the cold front marches eastward into the Plains, an environment featuring warm and moisture rich air ahead of and along the front will set the stage for possible strong and severe thunderstorms on Tuesday and especially on Wednesday. Thunderstorms capable of producing large hail and damaging winds are of greatest concern, with a tornado or two not completely ruled out. The Storm Prediction Center has issued a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 5) of severe thunderstorms for Tuesday, which extends from portions of Minnesota and Wisconsin southward to central Oklahoma. For Wednesday, the Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk (level 2 of 5) of severe thunderstorms, which covers from portions of southern Iowa southward to parts of far northeast Texas. The anomalous moisture along the cold front will also lead to the potential for storms to produce flash flooding on Wednesday, and the Weather Prediction Center has issued a Marginal Risk (level 1 of 4) to highlight this threat from southern Wisconsin to northeast Texas. Ahead of the same cold front that is set to bring mountain snow to parts of the Intermountain West and the risk of severe thunderstorms through midweek, a surge of unseasonable warmth is forecast to expand eastward from the Central U.S. to the Eastern U.S. through the latter half of the week. Temperatures on Tuesday will soar well into the 70s and 80s from the nation's midsection to the Midwest and Ohio Valley... with highs likely to eclipse the 90 degree mark across portions of southern Texas. Numerous high temperature records are at risk of being broken with widespread temperature anomalies of 20 to 30 degrees above normal being common. Combined with gusty south and southwesterly winds, an elevated fire weather risk is a concern across portions of the Plains where fuels remain abnormally dry. By Wednesday, with the exception of northern New England, the late October warmth spreads eastward into the rest of the Eastern U.S. and persists through at least Halloween. Numerous record high temperatures will once again be possible as temperatures climb well above seasonal norms for this time of year. Miller Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php