009  
FXUS01 KWBC 240749  
PMDSPD  
 
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
348 AM EDT WED APR 24 2024  
 
VALID 12Z WED APR 24 2024 - 12Z FRI APR 26 2024  
 
...UNSETTLED WEATHER AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CHANCES GRADUALLY  
EXPAND ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL UNITED STATES OVER THE NEXT  
SEVERAL DAYS...  
 
...ACTIVE FIRE WEATHER PATTERN TO BECOME SITUATED OVER THE  
SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS...  
 
...ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES SHIFT FROM THE GREAT BASIN TO THE  
PLAINS, WHILE THE WEST AND EAST REMAIN COOL THROUGH THE END OF THE  
WEEK...  
 
THE BENIGN WEATHER PATTERN EXPERIENCED THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE  
NATION OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS IS EXPECTED TO CONCLUDE AS  
DEVELOPING UPPER TROUGHING OVER THE WESTERN U.S. HELPS CREATE A  
RIPE SPRING SEVERE WEATHER SETUP OVER PARTS OF THE CENTRAL AND  
SOUTHERN PLAINS. THIS TROUGH IS EXPECTED TO ENTER THE SOUTHWEST BY  
EARLY THURSDAY AND SWING INTO THE CENTRAL PLAINS BY FRIDAY. AT THE  
SURFACE, RETURNING MOISTURE FROM THE GULF OF MEXICO WILL BEGIN TO  
LIFT NORTHWARD TODAY AND POOL ALONG A GRADUALLY LIFTING WARM FRONT  
DRAPED ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS. COMBINED WITH A SOUTHERN HIGH  
PLAINS DRYLINE, A FEW DEVELOPING THUNDERSTORMS COULD TURN SEVERE  
TODAY FROM WEST TEXAS TO CENTRAL OKLAHOMA, AS WELL AS THE CHANCES  
FOR ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. A GREATER SEVERE WEATHER THREAT  
EXISTS BEGINNING ON THURSDAY AS A SURFACE CYCLONE RAPIDLY DEEPENS  
OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS IN RESPONSE TO THE APPROACHING UPPER  
LEVEL TROUGH. THE AFOREMENTIONED WARM FRONT IS EXPECTED TO  
CONTINUE LIFTING NORTHWARD WHILE THE HIGH PLAINS DRYLINE PUSHES  
EAST. THIS ENVIRONMENT IS ANTICIPATED TO PRODUCE NUMEROUS  
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN PLAINS, WITH  
SCATTERED STORMS TURNING SEVERE. THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER HAS  
ISSUED AN ENHANCED RISK (LEVEL 3/5) FOR SEVERE WEATHER ACROSS  
PARTS OF SOUTHWEST/SOUTH-CENTRAL KANSAS AND WESTERN OKLAHOMA INTO  
THE EASTERN TEXAS PANHANDLE. VERY LARGE HAIL, SEVERE WIND GUSTS,  
AND A COUPLE STRONG TORNADOES WILL ALL BE POSSIBLE. MULTIPLE  
ROUNDS OF HEAVY RAIN COULD ALSO LEAD TO SCATTERED FLASH FLOODING,  
WHICH HAS PROMPTED A SLIGHT RISK (LEVEL 2/4) OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL  
ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST OKLAHOMA, EASTERN KANSAS, WESTERN  
MISSOURI, AND NORTHWEST ARKANSAS. BY FRIDAY, THE AFOREMENTIONED  
LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IS FORECAST TO DEEPEN AND SLIDE EAST INTO THE  
CENTRAL PLAINS WHILE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ALSO PUSH  
EASTWARD INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST, MIDDLE/LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY,  
AND SOUTHERN PLAINS.  
 
BEHIND THE DRYLINE ACROSS THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS, THE  
COMBINATION OF VERY LOW RELATIVE HUMIDITY AND GUSTY WINDS ARE  
EXPECTED TO CREATE CRITICAL FIRE WEATHER ON THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.  
ANY FIRES THAT DEVELOP WILL LIKELY SPREAD RAPIDLY. OUTDOOR BURNING  
IS NOT RECOMMENDED. ADDITIONALLY, GUSTY WINDS UP TO 55 MPH COULD  
LEAD TO AREAS OF BLOWING DUST.  
 
PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL ALSO EXIST ELSEWHERE ACROSS THE NATION.  
A COLD FRONT CROSSING THE NORTHEAST TODAY WILL SPREAD SHOWERS OVER  
THE REGION, WITH SNOW SHOWERS POSSIBLE ACROSS NORTHERN NEW  
ENGLAND. UNSETTLED WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE WEST,  
GREAT BASIN, AND ROCKIES AS WELL OVER THE NEXT FEW DAYS UNDERNEATH  
THE DEEPENING UPPER TROUGH. MOST PRECIPIATION IS EXPECTED TO  
REMAIN MOSTLY LIGHT, WITH EMBEDDED DOWNPOURS AND HIGH ELEVATION  
HEAVY SNOW BY FRIDAY ACROSS THE ROCKIES. THIS ACTIVE WEATHER WILL  
ALSO LEAD TO A COOLING TREND THROUGHOUT THE WEST COMPARED TO THE  
SPRING WARMTH FELT OVER THE LAST FEW DAYS. CHILLY WEATHER IS ALSO  
FORECAST ACROSS THE NORTHEAST THROUGH THE END OF THE WEEK AS HIGH  
PRESSURE BUILDS SOUTHWARD FROM CANADA. LOW TEMPERATURES COULD DIP  
BELOW FREEZING ON THURSDAY MORNING AND HAVE PROMPTED FREEZE  
WATCHES TO BE ISSUED FROM THE LOWER GREAT LAKES TO SOUTHERN NEW  
ENGLAND. MOST OF THE ABOVE AVERAGE WARMTH WILL BE FOUND THROUGHOUT  
THE PLAINS, BESIDES OF ANY AREAS EXPERIENCING PROLONGED PERIODS OF  
RAINFALL, WITH HIGHS INTO THE 80S REMAINING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN  
TIER STATES UNTIL FRIDAY.  
 
SNELL  
 
GRAPHICS AVAILABLE AT  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/BASICWX/BASICWX_NDFD.PHP  
 
 
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