Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 359 PM EDT Mon Jul 03 2017 Valid 00Z Tue Jul 04 2017 - 00Z Thu Jul 06 2017 ...Dry and hot weather over much the western U.S. with cooling trend for the Great Lakes region... ...Scattered thunderstorms across much of the eastern two-thirds the country into Independence Day... Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop over much of the central and southern U.S over the next few days. Rainfall may be possible with some of these storms across the central U.S., which may lead to flash flooding. With a fairly broad upper-level trough in place over the East, and a ridge over the South/Southwest, an extensive frontal boundary will span from the Canadian Maritimes to the northern High Plains. The portion of the front from the Mid-Atlantic to the Midwest/Central Plains will largely be stationary as surface high pressure settles in over the Great Lakes region. The slow-moving/stalled boundary will be act as a focus for the expected convection. Cooler air will filter into the Great Lakes and Northeast through midweek, resulting in cooler than normal temperatures. The summer heat and humidity will persist across the Central Plains eastward into the Mid-Atlantic and further south to the Gulf Coast and Florida. The strongest thunderstorms are expected to remain over the central Plains. With the ridge persisting over the Southwest hot and dry conditions will prevail for the next few days. The strong July solar radiation will begin to heat up the interior mountains, and high temperatures are expected to gradually increase each day. Some locations in the Intermountain region will reach the upper 90s/low 100s, with 110s across much of the Desert Southwest. The fire danger will remain at very high levels. The afternoon heat is expected to trigger only a few showers and thunderstorms over the interior mountains. Campbell Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php