Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 400 PM EDT Wed Jun 28 2017 Valid 00Z Thu Jun 29 2017 - 00Z Sat Jul 01 2017 ...Severe thunderstorms and heavy rain possible for the Central Plains, Midwest, and Ohio Valley... ...Gradually rising temperatures forecast across the West Coast states... A frontal system making its way through the Midwest and Plains is expected to cause heavy rainfall and severe weather over the next couple of days. Through Thursday morning, severe weather is forecast along a cold front from the Central Plains northeastward into the Middle and Upper Mississippi Valley. In the Mississippi Valley, the threat of heavy rain and flash flooding is also present. Severe weather and heavy rain are possible once again on Thursday in the Central Plains, and as part of the cold front sinks slowly southward, the Ohio Valley will become active with strong to severe thunderstorms as well. Please refer to products issued by the Storm Prediction Center for further details on the severe weather threat. The Great Lakes and the Northeast will also have a chance of thunderstorms by Thursday afternoon as the frontal system moves eastward. Another low pressure system progressing southward from Canada will help cause showers and thunderstorms in the High Plains and Northern Plains. Elsewhere, scattered thunderstorms are likely in the Gulf Coast region, and will spread into the Southeast by Thursday morning due to plenty of moisture and instability. Meanwhile, the western U.S. is expected to be mostly dry over the next few days. In the West Coast states, temperatures are expected to increase over the next couple of days. By Friday, temperatures will be 10 to 15 degrees above average in that area. The Southwest will be a few degrees above average, but should not reach the extreme temperatures that it has recently. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php