Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 351 AM EDT Wed Jul 06 2016 Valid 12Z Wed Jul 06 2016 - 12Z Fri Jul 08 2016 ...Summertime conditions to continue across much of the southern and eastern U.S.... ...Below average temperatures to spread across the northwestern U.S. into the northern Plains... ...Strong to severe storms with heavy rain possible across portions of the northern Plains and Midwest... As summertime heat and humidity continues across much of the south-central to the eastern U.S., a series of cold fronts are expected to deliver below average temperatures to the northwestern and north-central U.S. From the Pacific Northwest to the northern Plains, expect high temperatures to be several degrees below normal across much of the region on both Wednesday and Thursday. In contrast, high temperatures are expected to sore well into the 90s across much of the southern U.S., with triple digit highs forecast across much of central and western Texas. Heat advisories have been posted for large sections of the southern Plains and the lower Mississippi valley. Temperates are expected to top out several degrees above normal across the Northeast as well, with air quality alerts and/or heat advisories posted for the major metropolitan regions. Showers and thunderstorms will be common from the central to the eastern U.S., particularly from South Dakota and Nebraska southeastward across the mid Mississippi valley on Wednesday. In addition to damaging winds and hail, heavy rains are also a threat with these storms. On Thursday, the greater threat for severe storms and heavy rain is expected to shift further to the east into upper Midwest. Pereira Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_wbg.php