####018003971#### FXUS01 KWBC 060820 PMDSPD Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 400 AM EDT Sat Apr 06 2024 Valid 12Z Sat Apr 06 2024 - 12Z Mon Apr 08 2024 ...Winter Storm to develop over the northern High Plains and nearby foothills of the Rockies with high winds possible later today into Sunday... ...Severe thunderstorms possible later today across the central Plains, shifting toward the Mississippi Valley on Sunday... ...High winds will impact much of the High Plains today, reaching into the Great Plains on Sunday... ...Critical Fire Weather Risk continues over Central/Southern High Plains... ...Warm weekend ahead for Central U.S.; East and West Coasts remain below average... A low pressure system currently intensifying over the central High Plains will be the focus of high winds, severe thunderstorms, and snow across the mid-section of the country for the remainder of the weekend. The highly-amplified upper trough that has ushered a fresh dose of cold air into much of the western U.S. will continue to support mountain snow today from the Great Basin to the Four Corner and up across the northern and central Rockies. Meanwhile, the tight pressure gradient ahead of a potent cold front will bring high winds across much of the central and southern High Plains today. As the low pressure system intensifies further over the central High Plains, the focus of the snow will gradually lift toward the northern High Plains by tonight ahead of a nearly stationary front. The snow is expected to become heavy from near the foothills of the northern Rockies to the northern High Plains later today and into Sunday. Anywhere between 6-12 inches of snow is possible with 1-2 feet more likely at higher elevations (Big Horns, Shirley, Laramie Mountains). The winds just behind the intense low pressure center will likely become very strong and gusty, possibly resulting in blizzard conditions in these areas. The strongest winds could occur near the foothills of northern Colorado where winds could be damaging at times from Saturday night into early Sunday. Farther south, the persistently dry downslope winds from the Rockies will keep fire danger from critical to locally extreme levels across the central to southern High Plains through the next couple of days. On the warm side of the system, severe thunderstorms are possible ahead of the intensifying low pressure system and the associated potent cold front across the central Plains, mainly later today and into early on Sunday. Sunday night should see the heavy snow and high winds to begin winding down across the northern High Plains as the low pressure system weakens and slowly moves farther to the east. Showers and thunderstorms are expected to expand farther east into the upper Midwest and farther south into the Mississippi Valley along the cold front. Meanwhile, more snow showers are expected to continue today from the central Appalachians up through the lower Great Lakes and interior Northeast/New England as the circulation of a huge nor'easter will be slow to exit into the Atlantic. An additional few inches of new snow with locally up to 6 inches are possible across northern New England today before sunshine returns on Sunday. High temperatures will remain below average along the East Coast into Monday morning thanks to the cloudiness. Meanhwile, a pronounced ridge will support warmer than average temperatures across the Great Plains and Mississippi Valley this weekend. In contrast, northern New England will wake up to temperatures in the 20s Monday morning with clearing skies while southern Texas will be under considerable cloudiness prior to the total solar eclipse. Kong Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php $$