860 FXUS01 KWBC 041912 PMDSPD Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 311 PM EDT Mon May 04 2026 Valid 00Z Tue May 05 2026 - 00Z Thu May 07 2026 ...A strong cold front will move south and east from the Northern Plains today and will continue southward, reaching the Southeast by mid-week... ...Snow and wintry precipitation to begin today into Wednesday for much of the Rockies.. ...Wintry precipitation to return to parts of the Sierra Nevada, with rain and thunderstorms in lower elevations... A strong cold front has moved through the Northern Plains and continues to progress southeastward through the Central Plains, reaching the Southern Plains and Southeast by the middle of the week. A potent upper-level trough will eject southward and deepen as it merges with a cutoff low located over southern California. Both systems will result into a busy weather pattern from the Southern Plains, the Midwest, and the Northeast. Widespread showers and thunderstorms have already began in the Great Basin and Central Rockies with higher elevation snow and will continue to increase tomorrow into Wednesday where moderate to heavy snow is possible in the Rockies and the Front Range of Colorado. The Storm prediction center has issued a slight risk (level 2/5) for severe weather from the middle Mississippi River Valley into the Upper Great Lakes. The main mode of severe weather threat is large hail and gusty winds. On Tuesday, the cold front will advance into the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley, bringing the potential for strong to severe thunderstorms beginning in the afternoon. Given modest cooling aloft and instability, storms that develop will pose a risk of large hail, strong winds, and the possibility of tornadoes. As such, SPC has issued a Slight Risk (level 2/5) of severe weather for parts of the Southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley. Simultaneously, given the large extent of the front, showers and thunderstorms will also develop across parts of the Midwest, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeast. The northernmost impacted regions are expected to experience much less intense thunderstorms due to lower instability. On Wednesday, the front moves in the the Southern Plains and Mississippi Valley. The cold will begin to slow down as it nears the Gulf Coast. Ample Gulf moisture will help to destabilize the atmosphere which will initiate heavy to severe thunderstorms in the eastern portion of the Southern Plains, the Lower Mississippi Valley, and the Tennessee Valley. SPC has also issued yet another a Slight Risk of severe weather for these regions. The main threat is isolated tornadoes, large hail and gusty winds. Some storms may result in heavy rainfall and isolated flash flooding. As for the Mid-Atlantic, showers and thunderstorms will develop but will not be on the severe side. In addition, the previously mentioned upper-level cutoff low off the coast of California, along with several surface troughs and a weakening surface low, will bring precipitation to parts of northern California and the Central Great Basin. Precipitation is expected to remain in the form of rain and thunderstorms along the coast and low elevations, with snow and a wintry mix in the high elevations, specifically the Sierra Nevada. Elsewhere, portions of southern Florida will continue to receive much needed rain as thunderstorms from a stationary front remains in place. Additional localized precipitation will also be possible due to sea-breeze thunderstorms. This is great news for Florida as the Southeast continues to battle severe to exceptional drought conditions and wildfires. As for temperatures, significantly cooler conditions are expected early this week throughout the northern and eastern portions of the U.S. as the cold front progresses. Well-below-average temperatures are also expected for parts of the Central Rockies beginning on Tuesday, with temperatures dipping into the 40s. Meanwhile, the Pacific Northwest will continue to experience well-above-average temperatures over the next few days. Parts of Washington and Oregon could see highs approaching or exceeding 80 degrees for the beginning of the week. Green/Blanco-Alcala Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php $$