Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 401 PM EDT Tue Sep 11 2018 Valid 00Z Wed Sep 12 2018 - 00Z Fri Sep 14 2018 ...Hurricane Florence is currently a category four major hurricane, residents in the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic should closely monitor this extremely dangerous system... ...Heavy rain possible over parts of the central/western Gulf Coast... ...Fire weather concerns spread across much of the West... Florence remains a major category four Hurricane. The cyclone is forecast to slowly move northwesterly towards the Southeast/Southern Mid-Atlantic Coast by Friday morning, making landfall in North Carolina. Excessive rainfall and storm surge will proceed the landfall of the hurricane, with hurricane watches in effect across much of the South Carolina and North Carolina coastlines. Please see the latest National Hurricane Center advisories for updates to the forecast track and details of any watches and warnings associated with Florence. Meanwhile, a quasi-stationary front will remain in place over the next couple of days, stretching from the Texas Gulf Coast northeast into the Mid-Atlantic. Eventually this front will begin to break apart as the hurricane nears the coastline, but until then, expect scattered to numerous showers and thunderstorms along and southeast of the front. The Weather Prediction Center has outlined much of the Texas coastline and the western Louisiana coastline as being in a slight risk of excessive rainfall and flash flooding through tonight. A marginal risk will continue through the day Wednesday as well. A marginal risk of excessive rainfall also exists across portions of the Mid-Atlantic and into the coastal Northeast today and Wednesday along the frontal boundary. Across the western U.S., a large upper level trough will begin shifting into the region from the northwest. While not much in the way of precipitation is expected with this system over the next few days, it will promote gusty conditions. This, combined with dry conditions and low humidities, will create the potential for explosive fire growth across portions of the West. Red Flag Warnings are in effect from northern California, across the Central Great Basin, Central Rockies, and western portions of the Central Plains through at least Wednesday evening. Many of these warnings extend into Thursday as well. A Fire Weather Watch is also in effect for southern Nevada and northern Wyoming for this time. Wix Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php