Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 345 AM EDT Fri Jun 17 2016 Valid 12Z Fri Jun 17 2016 - 12Z Sun Jun 19 2016 ...Showers and thunderstorms, along with potential severe weather, to impact the East Coast over the next few days... ...Thunderstorms expected for portions of the northern and central Plains... ...Dangerous heat expected to continue across the midsection of the U.S. in addition to the Desert Southwest... Showers and thunderstorms will generate along a front moving through the northern Plains into the weekend. With plentiful moisture on tap being transported north and a fair amount of instability, some of these storms will have the capability to produce flash flooding. The threat for severe weather will return to the northern Plains, primarily along the International border, on Saturday as a portion of the front lifts into Montana and the Dakotas as a warm front. By Sunday, the threat for severe storms will be over the Upper Midwest as the front drapes across Minnesota. The Storm Prediction Center has a slight risk in place from northern Montana to northern Minnesota on Saturday and over Minnesota and western Wisconsin on Sunday. A front dropping south across the Mid-Atlantic will bring scattered showers and thunderstorms throughout the region. With daytime heating creating instability and plenty of moisture in place, along with the front acting as the focal point for setting off convection, some storms could cause both severe weather and flash flooding. The areas of precipitation will mostly be over the the Deep South, the Southeast and southern/central Mid-Atlantic by this afternoon as the cold front continues on its southward track. The boundary will stall in the lower Mississippi Valley and Florida on Sunday, which will maintain the likelihood of showers and thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast, Texas and Florida. The persistent ridge anchored over the central U.S. will keep the oppressive and dangerous heat across the southern Plains and Mississippi Valley. The Desert Southwest is also facing extreme heat, with the scale tipping well over the century mark. Places around Phoenix can even see temperatures over 110 degrees this weekend. Numerous excessive heat warnings in effect across the Desert Southwest, Kansas and Oklahoma. Widespread heat advisories are in effect from the Gulf Coast to central Plains. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php