Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 356 PM EDT Wed Aug 23 2017 Valid 00Z Thu Aug 24 2017 - 00Z Sat Aug 26 2017 ...Tropical Depression Harvey will strengthen into a tropical storm and cause heavy rainfall in Texas by Friday... ...Heavy rainfall and thunderstorms expected along a cold front in the South... ...Showers and thunderstorms will continue across the Southern Rockies... The National Hurricane Center has named Tropical Depression Harvey once again, which is expected to become Tropical Storm Harvey shortly. Harvey will move slowly northwestward and is currently expected to approach the Texas coast by late Friday. See the National Hurricane Center's website for more information on Harvey's track. As Harvey approaches, heavy rain will begin on Friday for the Texas coast, so there is a slight risk of flash flooding beginning on Friday. Stay tuned for updates, as heavy rainfall and flash flooding potential is expected to last several days. A cold front is tracking through the western Atlantic, the Carolinas, and the Southeast, and into the Lower Mississippi Valley and Texas. Along this front, scattered thunderstorms are expected to continue. Through Wednesday night, heavy rain is expected, particularly in eastern North Carolina, where there is a slight risk of flash flooding. This front will move slowly southward but linger as a stationary front along the Gulf Coast by Friday, so thunderstorms will continue for the Gulf Coast over the next few days. A weak low just west of Florida will enhance the shower and thunderstorm coverage there as well, and there is a chance of heavy rain and a marginal risk of flash flooding for southern Florida through the end of the week. For the Southern Rockies and into the Southern High Plains, sufficient moisture and an upper-level trough approaching from the west will lead to scattered thunderstorms over the next couple of days. These storms could produce heavy rain, so there is a slight risk of flash flooding for portions of those areas tonight through Thursday night. Farther north, frontal systems are expected to move through the Rockies and into the Northern and Central High Plains through the end of the week. This will help cause scattered showers and thunderstorms for much of the western U.S. through Thursday. As the fronts push slowly east, the Northern and Central Plains will start to see scattered thunderstorms on Thursday and increase in coverage on Friday. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php