268  
FXUS01 KWBC 151826  
PMDSPD  
 
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
225 PM EDT FRI MAY 15 2026  
 
VALID 00Z SAT MAY 16 2026 - 00Z MON MAY 18 2026  
 
...ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS MUCH OF IOWA WITH  
A SLIGHT RISK EXTENDING DOWN TO THE OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS  
PANHANDLES...  
 
...NEXT ROUND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS FORECAST FOR THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY MORNING...  
 
...HEAT BUILDS ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AS COOL AND UNSETTLED  
WEATHER SPREADS INTO THE PACIFIC NORTHWEST AND NORTHERN ROCKIES...  
 
A NEARLY STATIONARY FRONT EXTENDING ACROSS THE MIDSECTION OF HE  
COUNTRY WILL BE THE FOCUS FOR ROUNDS OF STRONG TO SEVERE  
THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH THE NEXT COUPLE OF DAYS. A WEAK WARM FRONT  
WILL LIFT NORTHWARD INTO THE GREAT LAKES/UPPER MIDWEST FRIDAY  
EVENING INTO SATURDAY, INCREASING THE CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND  
THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY. THUNDERSTORMS COULD ALSO  
BECOME SEVERE FARTHER SOUTHWEST ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS TO THE  
OKLAHOMA AND TEXAS PANHANDLES. THEREFORE, STORM PREDICTION CENTER  
HAS ISSUED A ENHANCED RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS IOWA AND  
SLIGHT RISK ACROSS PARTS OF UPPER MIDWEST AND CENTRAL/SOUTHERN  
PLAINS THROUGH SATURDAY MORNING. ON SATURDAY, THE ENHANCED SEVERE  
WEATHER THREAT DEVELOPS ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST COLORADO INTO  
SOUTHWEST NEBRASKA AND NORTHWEST KANSAS AS TWO FRONTAL BOUNDARIES  
MOVE INTO CENTRAL GREAT BASIN/CENTRAL PLAINS INTO GREAT LAKES.  
 
ACROSS THE WEST, A SHORTWAVE TROUGH WILL DEVELOP OVER THE PACIFIC  
NORTHWEST BRINGING UNSETTLED WEATHER. EXPECT LOWER ELEVATION  
SHOWERS AND A CHANCE FOR SOME EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HIGH  
ELEVATION SNOW THROUGH SATURDAY. AS THE FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES INTO  
THE NORTHERN ROCKIES/PLAINS, CHANCES FOR SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
DEVELOP ALONG THE FRONT. IN ADDITION, THERE WILL BE A CHANCE FOR  
HIGH ELEVATION SNOW/MIXED PRECIPIATION FURTHER INLAND OVER THE  
NORTHERN ROCKIES EARLY ON SUNDAY. WINDS WILL BE GUSTY AS A LOW  
PRESSURE SYSTEM BEGINS TO EXPAND AND DEVELOP OVER THE NORTHERN AND  
CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS EARLY ON SUNDAY. THE FRONTAL SYSTEM WILL ALSO  
EXPAND THE CHANCES FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE  
NORTHERN PLAINS SATURDAY NIGHT, REACHING INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST  
EARLY ON SUNDAY.  
 
UNDER A UPPER-LEVEL RIDGE, ABOVE NORMAL TEMPERATURES WILL CONTINUE  
FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN U.S. THROUGH MUCH OF THE WEEKEND WITH  
HIGHS BETWEEN 80S ACROSS MUCH OF THE EASTERN U.S. ON SATURDAY AND  
RISING TO 90S ON SUNDAY, WHILE CENTRAL U.S. WILL SEE MOSTLY 90S  
THROUGH THE WEEKEND. ON MONDAY, BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES ACROSS  
THE NORTHWEST WILL SPREAD EASTWARD INTO NORTH-CENTRAL U.S.  
BRINGING 15-20 DEGREES BELOW AVERAGE HIGHS ACROSS THE AREA.  
 
OUDIT/KONG  
 
GRAPHICS AVAILABLE AT  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/BASICWX/BASICWX_NDFD.PHP  
 
 
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