Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 336 AM EDT Sun Jul 1 2018 Valid 12Z Sun Jul 1 2018 - 12Z Tue Jul 3 2018 ...Stormy weather for the Great Lakes and heat wave for the eastern half of the nation... A slow moving cold front crossing the Midwest states on Sunday with a surface low along it will be the impetus for heavy rain and strong thunderstorms across parts of Illinois, Wisconsin, and Michigan. The primary threats with these storms will be wind and large hail, along with heavy rain and frequent lightning. Across the Gulf Coast region, a low pressure trough will enhance showers and storms from the Florida Panhandle to Louisiana through Monday night, and some of these storms could produce locally heavy rain that may cause some flooding issues. Dry conditions are expected to continue for most of the western U.S. from the Rockies westward. The other thing making weather headlines this weekend and going into early next week is the ongoing extensive heat wave across much of the Plains and extending to the East Coast. An impressive upper level ridge is growing over the eastern U.S. and this is leading to widespread subsidence aloft, and thus mostly sunny skies and hot conditions. Temperature anomalies on the order of 10 to even 20 degrees above normal are expected through Monday, with the potential for numerous record high temperatures to be set from the Great Lakes to New England. Numerous heat advisories and excessive heat warnings are in effect from near Memphis to Michigan, and also for the Mid-Atlantic to northern New England. High temperatures in the 90s to near 100 degrees, combined with high dewpoints, is expected result in heat indices of 100 to 110 degrees for many areas. Overnight lows will also be quite sultry, especially in urban areas where readings could remain above 75 degrees all night. D. Hamrick Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php