Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 357 PM EDT Wed Sep 05 2018 Valid 00Z Thu Sep 06 2018 - 00Z Sat Sep 08 2018 ...Tropical Storm Gordon has made landfall and will continue to track inland bringing heavy rain and the threat of flash flooding to the Lower Mississippi Valley and parts of the coastal Deep South... ...Excessive rainfall and flash flooding is likely across portions of the Southern and Central Plains and the Middle Mississippi Valley... ...Excessive heat continues to be felt across the northeastern U.S.... Tropical Storm Gordon made landfall late Tuesday evening near the Alabama and Mississippi border and has weakened to a Tropical Depression as it continues to spin across the Lower Mississippi Valley. The forecast has this tropical depression hooking north-northeast through Arkansas and across Missouri and Illinois by the end of the weekend. A swath of 2 to 5 inches, with localized higher amounts, is forecast from Mississippi to Illinois in a boomerang pattern. This will create a vast area of elevated flooding concerns over the next few days. WPC has portions of the Lower Mississippi Valley and Midwest in a Moderate Risk for excessive rainfall over the next few days. A large swath of flash flood watches are also in effect from the Panhandle of Florida northwest across Mississippi and Arkansas. Check the latest public advisories for further information on the path and impacts from this storm. Meanwhile, a frontal boundary is currently stretching across the Upper Great Lakes southwestward into the Southern Plains. Multiple rounds of rain and thunderstorms will persist along this boundary as it continues on it's progressive southeast path over the next 24 hours. Numerous areas within this region are already experiencing saturated soils and ongoing flooding, so any further rainfall will only exacerbate the situation. The Weather Prediction Center has issued a slight risk of excessive rainfall along the frontal boundary stretching from the Middle Mississippi Valley into the Southern Plains through tonight. A moderate risk of excessive rainfall exists elsewhere along the frontal passage. Large sections of the Southern and Central Plains, the Middle and Upper Mississippi Valley, and the Upper Great Lakes are currently under Flash Flood Watches or are experiencing ongoing flooding. Ahead of this approaching cold front, a deep pull of warm and moist air is resulting in hot and humid conditions across much of the Eastern U.S.. Heat advisories remain in effect for parts of the Northeast and coastal Mid-Atlantic this evening. Once the cold front passes across this region by the end of the week, a much cooler and drier airmass will take hold. Wix Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php