Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 407 PM EDT Mon Jul 09 2018 Valid 00Z Tue Jul 10 2018 - 00Z Thu Jul 12 2018 ...Tropical Storm Chris will continue to strengthen and linger off the Carolinas, eventually beginning to lift away from the coast by Wednesday... ...Severe thunderstorms possible from Montana to Minnesota this week, with flash flooding also possible on Wednesday in parts of the upper Mississippi Valley... ...Heavy rainfall and flash flooding possible across portions of the Southwest... As per the latest advisory from the National Hurricane Center, Tropical Storm Chris is forecast to strengthen into a Hurricane as it lingers off the Carolinas through tomorrow, and finally begin lifting north and eastward away from the East coast by Wednesday. While much of the heaviest rainfall should stay well offshore, outer rain bands from Chris may clip the Outer Banks of North Carolina through tomorrow. Despite this, dangerous surf and rip-currents will continue through the next few days along the Carolina coasts as well as farther up the Mid-Atlantic coast. Refer to those products issued by the local forecast offices as well as NHC for the latest information regarding Chris and its impacts. Expect mainly scattered showers and thunderstorm to continue along a cold front as it moves eastward this evening and on Tuesday through the Great Lakes and into the Northeast. The western portion of this front will eventually start pushing eastward as a cold front by tomorrow across the northern Rockies and High Plains. Rain and thunderstorms will accompany this front as it moves across the Northern Plains and into the upper Mississippi Valley by Thursday with severe thunderstorms and heavy rainfall possible. The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted portions Montana and North Dakota within a slight risk for severe weather on Tuesday, and into parts of Minnesota on Wednesday. WPC also has a slight risk for excessive rainfall/flash flooding along the boundary in Minnesota on Wednesday. Elsewhere, expect monsoonal moisture and diurnally driven showers and thunderstorms to continue impacting portions of the Southwest, Great Basin, and southern Rockies through the short range period, with heavy rainfall and flash flooding a possibility with WPC indicting a marginal to slight risk for much of this region on its excessive rainfall outlooks. In the Deep South, scattered showers and storms will continue across Florida, the Gulf Coast states, and parts of the lower Mississippi valley along and behind a lingering stationary boundary. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php