872
FXUS01 KWBC 220732
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
332 AM EDT WED APR 22 2026
VALID 12Z WED APR 22 2026 - 12Z FRI APR 24 2026
...HEAVY SNOW EXPECTED FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES THE NEXT FEW DAYS...
...THUNDERSTORM CHANCES RETURN TO PORTIONS OF THE UPPER MIDWEST
AND CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS THURSDAY WITH SEVERE WEATHER AND
ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE...
...GUSTY WINDS AND WARM, VERY DRY CONDITIONS WILL LEAD TO A
CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER ACROSS MUCH OF THE HIGH PLAINS
WEDNESDAY INTO THURSDAY...
AN INCOMING DEEP UPPER-TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED SURFACE FRONTAL
SYSTEM FROM THE PACIFIC WILL BRING A WIDE RANGE OF IMPACTS
INCLUDING SNOW, SEVERE WEATHER, HEAVY RAINFALL, AND A THREAT FOR
WILDFIRES FROM THE WESTERN TO CENTRAL U.S. MID- TO LATE WEEK.
PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL FIRST SPREAD FURTHER INLAND FROM THE
PACIFIC NORTHWEST INTO THE NORTHERN GREAT BASIN AND ROCKIES TODAY
(WEDNESDAY), WITH SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS FOR LOWER ELEVATIONS
AND HEAVY SNOW FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS, PARTICULARLY THE MOUNTAINS
OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES. THE SNOW WILL CONTINUE FOR THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES INTO THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, WITH TOTALS OF 6-12"+ EXPECTED.
SOME SNOW MAY ALSO MIX IN FOR THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AND ADJACENT
HIGH PLAINS OF MONTANA AS TEMPERATURES COOL THURSDAY, THOUGH
LITTLE TO NO ACCUMULATIONS ARE EXPECTED. THE UPPER-TROUGH AND COLD
FRONT WILL ALSO BEGIN TO PUSH INTO PORTIONS OF THE
NORTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS BY LATER TONIGHT AS WELL, WITH AN ISOLATED
THREAT FOR SOME THUNDERSTORMS. THEN, ON THURSDAY, STRENGTHENING
WIND FIELDS AS THE UPPER-TROUGH SPREADS FURTHER EASTWARD AND
INCREASED MOIST, UNSTABLE AIR FROM THE SOUTH WILL LEAD TO MORE
WIDESPREAD, ROBUST THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE UPPER MIDWEST
SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE MISSOURI VALLEY AND INTO PORTIONS OF THE
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS. A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER (LEVEL
2/5) IS IN PLACE FROM THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER FOR THE THREAT
OF LARGE HAIL, DAMAGING WINDS, AND A FEW TORNADOES. ADDITIONALLY,
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE POSSIBLE, WITH AN ISOLATED THREAT
FOR FLASH FLOODING. THE SEVERE WEATHER/ISOLATED FLASH FLOOD THREAT
IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT INTO THE ARKLATEX/OZARKS REGION EAST INTO THE
LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY FRIDAY. DEEPENING LEE TROUGHING EAST OF
THE ROCKIES WILL ALSO LEAD TO STRONG, GUSTY DOWNSLOPING WINDS AND
WARM, VERY DRY CONDITIONS, PROMPTING A WIDESPREAD CRITICAL RISK OF
FIRE WEATHER (LEVEL 2/3) FROM THE SPC TODAY ACROSS MUCH OF THE
HIGH PLAINS. THIS THREAT WILL CONTINUE INTO THURSDAY BUT WITH THE
FOCUS SHIFTING TO THE SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS.
ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED ALONG THE GULF COAST OF
TEXAS INTO LOUISIANA TODAY AS SOUTHERLY FLOW BRINGS IN DEEP
MOISTURE FROM THE GULF. SOME LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND ISOLATED
FLASH FLOODING WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE. ELSEWHERE, SOME SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ALONG A FRONTAL BOUNDARY
THROUGH THE OHIO VALLEY INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC TODAY. AN UPPER-WAVE
WILL ALSO BRING SOME SCATTERED SHOWERS TO NEW ENGLAND LATER TODAY
AND INTO EARLY THURSDAY, WITH A WINTRY MIX POSSIBLE FOR INTERIOR
LOCATIONS. THE PROGRESSIVE PATTERN WILL BRING VARIABLE
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE COUNTRY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, WITH
WARMER, ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES GENERALLY SHIFTING EASTWARD AND
COOLER, BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES EXPANDING OVER THE WESTERN TO
NORTH-CENTRAL U.S. AN UPPER-RIDGE AHEAD OF THE WESTERN
UPPER-TROUGH WILL LEAD TO WELL ABOVE AVERAGE CONDITIONS ACROSS THE
NORTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS AND INTO THE MIDWEST TODAY, AS HIGHS SOAR
INTO THE 80S FOR MANY. A FEW HIGHS INTO THE 90S WILL BE POSSIBLE
FOR PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS. CONDITIONS WILL CONTINUE TO
MODERATE AND RISE ABOVE AVERAGE ACROSS THE OHIO
VALLEY/MID-ATLANTIC AND ALONG THE SOUTHERN TIER FROM THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS INTO THE SOUTHEAST FOLLOWING A COOLER START TO THE WEEK,
WITH HIGHS INTO THE 70S AND 80S. NEW ENGLAND WILL REMAIN COOLER
AND BELOW AVERAGE NORTH OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY, WITH HIGHS
GENERALLY HOVERING AROUND THE 50S. MEANWHILE, THE EASTWARD MOVING
UPPER-TROUGH/COLD FRONT WILL BRING AN AREA OF MUCH COOLER
TEMPERATURES EASTWARD. FORECAST HIGHS TODAY ALONG THE WEST COAST
WILL BE IN THE 50S AND 60S WITH 40S AND 50S SPREADING INTO THE
INTERIOR WEST. THE COLD FRONT WILL THEN BRING A SHARP PLUNGE IN
TEMPERATURES INTO PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS THURSDAY
INTO FRIDAY AS HIGHS DROP INTO THE 40S AND 50S HERE AS WELL.
CONDITIONS WILL GRADUALLY MODERATE TO THE WEST FOLLOWING THE
PASSAGE OF THE UPPER-TROUGH ON THURSDAY, WITH HIGHS RISING INTO
THE 70S ALONG THE WEST COAST AND 60S FOR THE INTERIOR WEST.
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