Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 400 AM EDT Sat Mar 22 2025 Valid 12Z Sat Mar 22 2025 - 12Z Mon Mar 24 2025 ...More wet weather expected for the Pacific Northwest and mountain snow across the northern Rockies this weekend... ...Snow develops across the upper Midwest to the upper Great Lakes on Sunday as severe weather and heavy rain threat emerge across the Deep South on Sunday... ...Fire weather threat continues across large portions of the Central to Southern Plains... A progressive weather pattern will continue to send unsettled weather onshore into the Pacific Northwest followed by the formation of a low pressure system over the northern Plains for the remainder of the weekend. The first wave of moisture will reach farther inland today across Idaho and into the northern Rockies as mountain snows and lower-elevation rains. This will allow the rain near the coast along the Pacific Northwest to taper off temporarily today before the next wave of moisture arrives on Sunday. This next moisture plume will aim mainly toward Washington state where a period of moderate to heavy rain is expected later on Sunday. The higher elevation of the northern Cascades can expect more than a foot of new snow from this moisture plume. Meanwhile, the upper-level trough associated with the first wave of moisture will advance toward the northern Plains where a low pressure system is forecast to develop and track eastward today. Snow can be expected to move across the northern Rockies today with mixed rain/snow showers moving downstream into the northern High Plains. The low pressure system will continue its eastward track across the upper Midwest into the upper Great Lakes on Sunday while deepening and expanding in size. This system will bring a period of snow from the far northern Plains/northern Minnesota on Sunday, spreading into the upper Great Lakes by Sunday night as the system center passes just to the south. Upwards of 6 to 8 inches of new snow with locally higher amounts can be expected near the upper Great Lakes. To the south of the system, a lack of moisture will initially suppress thunderstorm activities across the southern Plains today. By tonight, a batch of thunderstorms is forecast to develop and move across the Ozarks and much of Missouri ahead of a low pressure wave. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to expand across the Ohio Valley and lower Great Lakes on Sunday as the low pressure wave merges with the main system. By Sunday night into early Monday, a higher threat of severe weather mainly in the form of high winds and hail can expected to develop across the Deep South ahead of an intensifying cold front trailing south from the low center. Monday morning could see the rain reaching the northern Mid-Atlantic with some wintry mix over the Poconos. A cold front and a weak wave of low pressure will bring a period of mixed rain and snow across the Great Lakes today before moving into the interior Northeast tonight. A brief cold snap into the single digits across northern Minnesota this morning will be in contrast to Spring-like temperatures reaching into the 60s and 70s for the Mid-Atlantic states by this afternoon. Meanwhile, very dry conditions along with blustery winds and warming temperatures will continue to raise fire weather danger across much of the Central and Southern Plains today, with the threat lowering a bit on Sunday. Kong Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php