630
FXUS01 KWBC 230738
PMDSPD
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD
332 AM EDT THU APR 23 2026
VALID 12Z THU APR 23 2026 - 12Z SAT APR 25 2026
...THUNDERSTORMS FORECAST FOR THE UPPER MIDWEST AND
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS TODAY WITH SEVERE WEATHER AND ISOLATED
FLASH FLOODING POSSIBLE...
...HEAVY SNOW CONTINUES FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN
ROCKIES TODAY...
...GUSTY WINDS AND WARM, VERY DRY CONDITIONS WILL LEAD TO A
CRITICAL RISK OF FIRE WEATHER ACROSS MUCH OF THE CENTRAL/SOUTHERN
HIGH PLAINS TODAY...
A POTENT UPPER-TROUGH HAS BEGUN TO EMERGE OVER THE PLAINS/MIDWEST
TODAY WHILE LINGERING OVER THE ROCKIES, LEADING TO WIDESPREAD
IMPACTFUL WEATHER INCLUDING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS, FLASH FLOODING,
WILDFIRES, AND HEAVY SNOW. STRONG SOUTHERLY WINDS AHEAD OF AN
ACCOMPANYING SURFACE COLD FRONT WILL ADVECT GULF MOISTURE AND
HIGHER INSTABILITY NORTHWARD TO INITIATE WIDESPREAD THUNDERSTORMS
STRETCHING FROM THE UPPER MIDWEST SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE
CENTRAL/SOUTHERN PLAINS TODAY (THURSDAY). STRONG UPPER- AND
LOWER-LEVEL WIND FIELDS WILL SUPPORT THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER,
AND A BROAD SLIGHT RISK (LEVEL 2/5) FROM THE STORM PREDICTION
CENTER IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE REGION WITH DAMAGING WINDS, LARGE
HAIL, AND A FEW TORNADOES ALL POSSIBLE. A LOCALLY HIGHER ENHANCED
RISK (LEVEL 3/5) HAS BEEN INTRODUCED OVER PORTIONS OF EASTERN
KANSAS WHERE A COMBINATION OF HIGHER INSTABILITY AND FAVORABLE
LOW-LEVEL SHEAR COULD LEAD TO VERY LARGE HAIL AND A STRONG
TORNADO. LOCALLY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AS WELL AS INCREASING
THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE ALONG THE FRONT INTO THE EVENING HOURS WILL
ALSO BRING AN ISOLATED RISK FOR FLASH FLOODING. THE FRONT WILL
CONTINUE EASTWARD FRIDAY BRINGING THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE GREAT
LAKES REGION SOUTHWEST THROUGH THE MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. THE SEVERE
WEATHER THREAT WILL SHIFT SOUTHEASTWARD FROM THE ARKLATEX EAST TO
THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, WITH A SLIGHT RISK IN PLACE MAINLY
FOR THE THREAT OF LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. ISOLATED FLASH
FLOODING WILL BE A THREAT HERE AS WELL.
MEANWHILE, TO THE WEST, HEAVY SNOW WILL CONTINUE TODAY AND LINGER
INTO FRIDAY FOR HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE NORTHERN ROCKIES WITHIN
THE MUCH COLDER REGIME UNDER THE BASE OF THE UPPER-TROUGH. SOME
SNOW MAY ALSO MIX IN FOR THE MOUNTAIN VALLEYS AS WELL AS INTO
PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN HIGH PLAINS, THOUGH ACCUMULATIONS SHOULD
GENERALLY REMAIN LIGHT. THERE IS SOME POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY
IMPACTFUL AMOUNTS FOR NORTHEAST MONTANA ALONG THE CANADIAN BORDER
WHERE A STRONGER SNOW BAND MAY MATERIALIZE. BEYOND THE
PRECIPITATION THREATS, A DEEP SURFACE LOW AND TROUGHING SOUTHWARD
ALONG THE LEE OF THE ROCKIES WILL BRING VERY STRONG, GUSTY WINDS,
PARTICULARLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE NORTHERN PLAINS. WARM, DRY
CONDITIONS WITH THESE GUSTY DOWNSLOPING WINDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL
AND SOUTHERN HIGH PLAINS HAS PROMPTED ANOTHER CRITICAL RISK OF
FIRE WEATHER (LEVEL 2/3) FROM THE STORM PREDICTION CENTER TODAY.
ELSEWHERE, THUNDERSTORM CHANCES WILL CONTINUE TODAY ACROSS
PORTIONS OF LOUISIANA AS WELL AS SOUTH FLORIDA. SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ALONG A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONTAL
BOUNDARY THROUGH THE MID-ATLANTIC ON FRIDAY AND SATURDAY. A
SECONDARY SURGE OF UPPER-ENERGY FROM THE NORTH WILL BRING RENEWED
PRECIPITATION CHANCES INTO PORTIONS OF CALIFORNIA EAST INTO THE
GREAT BASIN BY EARLY SATURDAY. TEMPERATURES WILL BE VARIABLE ALONG
THE NORTHERN TIER OF THE U.S. GIVEN EXPECTED FRONTAL PASSAGES.
FORECAST HIGHS TODAY ACROSS THE NORTHERN/CENTRAL PLAINS, MIDWEST,
AND INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC WILL BE ABOVE AVERAGE AND INTO THE 70S
AND LOW 80S. A COLD FRONT WILL BRING MUCH COOLER TEMPERATURES IN
THE 40S AND 50S TO THE NORTHERN PLAINS AND UPPER MIDWEST FRIDAY
WHILE THE GREAT LAKES REGION REMAINS ABOVE AVERAGE. NEW ENGLAND
WILL REMAIN COOLER NORTH OF A FRONTAL BOUNDARY, WITH HIGHS IN THE
40S AND 50S. THIS FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SLIDE SOUTHWARD FRIDAY INTO
SATURDAY BRINGING COOLER TEMPERATURES IN THE 50S AND 60S INTO THE
MID-ATLANTIC. CONDITIONS ALONG THE SOUTHERN TIER WILL REMAIN MORE
CONSISTENTLY WARM AND ABOVE AVERAGE, WITH 80S FROM THE SOUTHERN
PLAINS EAST INTO THE SOUTHEAST. MOST OF THE WESTERN U.S. WILL
HOVER AROUND AVERAGE THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS, WITH 50S AND 60S FOR
THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND INTERIOR WEST, 60S AND 70S FOR
CALIFORNIA, AND 80S AND 90S FOR THE DESERT SOUTHWEST. MUCH COLDER
TEMPERATURES WILL LINGER UNDER THE UPPER-TROUGH ACROSS THE
NORTHERN ROCKIES, WITH HIGHS IN THE 30S AND 40S.
PUTNAM
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