Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
351 PM EDT Thu Apr 30 2026

Valid 00Z Fri May 01 2026 - 00Z Sun May 03 2026

...Widespread thunderstorms will continue along a quasi-stationary frontal
boundary across portions of Texas into the Lower Mississippi Valley
through Friday bringing scattered flash flooding...

...Heavy snow continues for higher elevations of the central/southern
Rockies through Friday...

...Cooler, much below average temperatures will continue into the early
weekend for the eastern and central U.S. while conditions warm across the
West...

Widespread showers and thunderstorms will continue through the end of the
work week along and north of a stalling frontal boundary stretching west
along the Gulf Coast through southern/western Texas and into portions of
the southern High Plains/Southwest. A favorably timed upper-wave and
anomalously high moisture pooling along the boundary will lead to robust,
heavy rainfall producing storms with the boundary serving to support
repeated rounds moving over the same areas. A Slight Risk of Excessive
Rainfall (level 2/4) remains in effect for portions of central Texas and
the Texas Hill Country where scattered instances of flash flooding are
possible through tonight, with a broader Marginal Risk (level 1/4) through
the region for a few more isolated instances. The threat expands eastward
on Friday with a Slight Risk extending from central/eastern Texas into the
Lower Mississippi Valley for more scattered instances of flash flooding. A
focused corridor of potentially more numerous instances of flash flooding
is possible generally along the I-10 corridor. The front will begin to
move southward into the Gulf and eastward through the southeast Saturday
with more progressive storms resulting in less widespread heavy rainfall,
though isolated flash flooding will remain possible. A developing coastal
low could bring some more moderate rainfall northward into the
Carolinas/southern Mid-Atlantic Saturday as well. In addition to the
rainfall, moist upslope flow along the central/southern Rockies will bring
heavy snow to higher elevations through Friday, with totals of 6-12"+
expected. Some snow may mix in for adjacent higher elevations of the High
Plains, though accumulations here should remain limited. Elsewhere,
lingering showers will gradually taper off from west to east across New
England this evening and into the early morning hours Friday as a low
pressure/frontal system passes through the region. A secondary surface
wave/front passing through the Midwest to Interior Northeast will also
bring some scattered light showers tonight and through the day tomorrow.
Some wintry precipitation may mix in for portions of the Interior
Northeast, but no accumulations are expected. A frontal system moving into
the northwestern U.S. may bring some widely scattered showers and
thunderstorms to the northern Rockies as well as the Pacific
Northwest/northern California Saturday.

Cooler, below average temperatures have settled in across most of the
eastern and central U.S. following a cold front passage and will linger
into the weekend. Forecast highs the next couple of days generally range
in the 40s and 50s from the northern Plains east through the Great Lakes
and into New England; the 50s and 60s for the central/southern Plains east
through the Mississippi/Ohio Valleys and into the Mid-Atlantic; and the
60s with some low 70s through the Southeast. Morning lows dropping into
the lower 30s Friday have prompted some Frost/Freeze related advisories
for portions of the Midwest/Great Lakes into the Appalachians. Widespread
precipitation and the sagging frontal boundary along the Gulf Coast will
bring some much cooler highs in the 60s here as well. Only Florida will
remain warmer south of the boundary, with 80s and 90s forecast. Meanwhile,
warmer, above average temperatures will spread across the western U.S.
through the end of the week, with highs rising into the 60s and 70s for
the Interior West/West Coast, 80s for inland California, and 80s and 90s
into the Desert Southwest. These warmer temperatures will begin to spread
across the northern/central Rockies and into the High Plains by Saturday,
with 60s and 70s expected.

Putnam