Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 345 AM EDT Wed Aug 30 2017 Valid 12Z Wed Aug 30 2017 - 12Z Fri Sep 01 2017 ...Tropical Storm Harvey will spread heavy rainfall from the Texas/Louisiana border north-northeastward into western Kentucky/Tennessee... ...A threat for a few tornadoes is possible over southern Mississippi as Harvey moves inland... ...Anomalous warmth to continue to affect the West Coast... Tropical Storm Harvey is currently making another landfall early this morning across southwestern Louisiana before weakening to a tropical depression later in the day. Fortunately the circulation and its moisture pool have moved east of Houston, Texas, thus allowing the region to finally dry out. The intense heavy rainfall has moved eastward toward Beaumont, Texas which has seen almost 18 inches of rain in a 12-hour period ending at 1 AM CDT. While hourly rainfall rates of 2 to 3 inches may be possible as Harvey lifts northward, the forward progression should help diminish the duration of the event. The current forecast paints a broad area of 3 to 6 inches of rainfall the next couple of days from southwestern Louisiana up along the Arkansas/Mississippi border and into western Tennessee/Kentucky. Of course embedded higher amounts are possible where some of the more intense bands of rainfall congregate. As such, a flash flood risk will remain for locations northward into the western Tennessee/Ohio river valleys. Additionally, a risk for some severe weather, perhaps a few tornadoes and damaging winds will be possible over southern Mississippi as Harvey migrates inland. The other major story across the nation is the continued heat wave over the western United States. This is in response to a persistent upper ridge which will briefly weaken before re-establishing its presence by the end of the work week. The current National Weather Service hazards map depicts excessive heat warnings and heat advisories encompassing much of California into the Desert Southwest. Forecast high temperatures across the interior central valleys of California will be in the low to mid 100s which is at least 10 degrees above normal. Farther north, the Central Great Basin and areas of the Upper Intermountain West have red flag warnings in place given the threat for some dry thunderstorms which may spark a few brush fires. And back into central/eastern Washington, degraded air quality will remain an issue as has been the case for much of the month due to smoke from upstream fires. Elsewhere, light to moderate rainfall should come to an end over areas of southern coastal New England. Conditions are expected to remain on the cooler end for late August/early September with forecast highs generally 5 to 10 degrees below climatology from the Mississippi River eastward. The cool spot will be across the Great Lakes and interior northeastern states as highs stay in the 60s with a strong cold front sweeping through. Rubin-Oster Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php