188
FXUS01 KWBC 211855
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
252 PM EDT TUE APR 21 2026
VALID 00Z WED APR 22 2026 - 00Z FRI APR 24 2026
...PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL BRING LOWER ELEVATION RAIN AND MOUNTAIN
SNOWS TO MUCH OF THE WEST THROUGH THURSDAY...
...GUSTY WINDS AND WARM, VERY DRY CONDITIONS WILL LEAD TO A
CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER ALONG MUCH OF THE HIGH PLAINS
WEDNESDAY...
...SEVERE WEATHER THREATS INCREASE THURSDAY FOR MUCH OF THE
PLAINS...
A DEEP UPPER-LOW AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL
CONTINUE TO PROGRESS EASTWARD OVER THE WESTERN U.S. THIS EVENING
BRINGING SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM CHANCES ACROSS MOST OF THE WEST
COAST AND INTO PORTIONS OF THE GREAT BASIN. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL
IS EXPECTED ALONG THE COASTAL RANGES OF NORTHERN/CENTRAL
CALIFORNIA AND UPSLOPE REGIONS OF THE SIERRA NEVADA, WHERE SOME
ISOLATED FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE. A PERIOD OF VERY HEAVY SNOW
WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE FOR THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE SIERRA
TODAY WHERE TOTALS OF 1-2'+ CAN BE EXPECTED. OTHER RANGES OF
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA, THE CASCADES, AND INTO THE GREAT BASIN MAY
ALSO SEE SOME SNOW BUT TOTALS SHOULD INITIALLY REMAIN LIGHT. THE
PRECIPITATION FOCUS WILL SHIFT NORTHWARD ON WEDNESDAY, CONTINUING
FOR THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN GREAT BASIN WHILE EXPANDING
INTO THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. LOWER ELEVATIONS WILL SEE RAIN WHILE
SNOW WILL CONTINUE FOR REGIONAL RANGES OF THE GREAT BASIN AND
SPREAD INTO HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES, WHERE
LOCALLY HEAVY SNOW IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY AS WELL.
SOME OF THE HIGHER VALLEYS IN THE NORTHERN ROCKIES MAY BEGIN TO
SEE SOME SNOW MIX IN BY WEDNESDAY NIGHT, THOUGH LITTLE TO NO
ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED.
AS THIS SYSTEM EMERGES INTO THE WEST AND THE PLAINS ON WEDNESDAY,
A DEEPENING LEE LOW/TROUGH EAST OF THE ROCKIES WILL BRING
INCREASINGLY GUSTY WINDS ALONG THE HIGH PLAINS WEDNESDAY. THESE
DOWNSLOPING WINDS WILL LEAD TO WARM, VERY DRY CONDITIONS AND HAVE
PROMPTED A BROAD CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER (LEVEL 2/3) FROM
THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER. THE MAIN COLD FRONT PUSHES INTO THE
PLAINS BY THURSDAY, WITH AN INCREASING RISK FOR SEVERE WEATHER
ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE BOUNDARY, WITH THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER
HIGHLIGHTING A SLIGHT RISK (LEVEL 2/5) FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS
FROM PARTS OF THE CENTRAL PLAINS TO THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL IS LIKELY ASSOCIATED WITH STORMS AS WELL,
BUT THE SYSTEM SHOULD BE PROGRESSIVE ENOUGH TO LIMIT ANY
WIDESPREAD FLASH FLOODING THREAT. ELSEWHERE, A FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL
BRING SOME SCATTERED SHOWER CHANCES FROM THE GREAT LAKES/OHIO
VALLEY EAST INTO THE NORTHEAST OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS.
A PROGRESSIVE UPPER-LEVEL PATTERN WILL LEAD TO VARIABLE
TEMPERATURES ACROSS MUCH OF THE COUNTRY THROUGH MID-WEEK. A STRONG
UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE AHEAD OF THE NOTED PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE
TO BRING WELL-ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE INTERIOR WEST
EAST INTO THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS AND MIDWEST THIS EVENING.
WIDESPREAD HIGHS IN THE 60S TO LOW 80S ARE FORECAST, WITH SOME
MID- TO UPPER-80S POSSIBLE ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL
PLAINS. HOWEVER, THE INCOMING PACIFIC SYSTEM WILL BRING AN
EASTWARD EXPANSION OF MUCH COOLER, BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES.
HIGHS IN THE 50S AND 60S ALONG THE WEST COAST WILL SPREAD ACROSS
MUCH OF THE INTERIOR WEST WEDNESDAY. A DRAMATIC DROP IN
TEMPERATURES WILL REACH PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS BY
THURSDAY AS HIGHS FALL INTO THE 40S. MEANWHILE, TO THE EAST,
TEMPERATURES WILL BEGIN TO MODERATE FOR MANY FOLLOWING A COLD
FRONT PASSAGE OVER THE WEEKEND. HIGHS WILL RETURN TO THE 70S AND
80S FOR THE OHIO VALLEY/SOUTHEAST TODAY AND MUCH OF THE
MID-ATLANTIC AS WELL AS TEXAS WEDNESDAY. COOLER TEMPERATURES WILL
LINGER LONGEST FOR NEW ENGLAND AS HIGHS REMAIN IN THE 40S AND 50S
THROUGH MID-WEEK.
SANTORELLI/PUTNAM
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