Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 407 PM EDT Sat Aug 24 2019 Valid 00Z Sun Aug 25 2019 - 00Z Tue Aug 27 2019 ...Low pressure along the east coast of Florida coast may strengthen to a tropical depression by early next week... ..Strong to severe storms with heavy rains possible for portions of the central Plains late Saturday into early Sunday... ...Strong to severe storms possible for the northern Plains late Sunday into early Monday... ...Record-breaking heat for portions of the central Rockies and southern High Plains on Sunday... ...Critical Fire Weather Conditions for portions of the northern Intermountain West through the weekend... Cool high pressure centered over eastern Canada will continue to support dry conditions and below-average temperatures from the upper Midwest to the northern Mid-Atlantic region through the remainder of the weekend. Meanwhile to the south, showers and storms are expected to develop each day along and south of a slow-moving frontal boundary extending from the Southeast back across the lower Mississippi valley into the southern Great Plains. A pair of disturbances - one near the east coast of Florida and another over the western Gulf of Mexico are expected to bring showers and storms to those areas. Locally heavy rains are possible along portions of the upper Texas coast and southern Louisiana, as well as portions of central and southern Florida. As the system near Florida moves to the northeast, conditions appear favorable for additional strengthening and a tropical cyclone or a subtropical depression is likely to develop by early next week. Refer to the latest NHC Tropical Weather Outlook for additional information regarding this system. Across the central U.S., a moist unstable airmass remaining along and east of a stationary boundary draped along the central and northern High Plains will support shower and thunderstorm development Saturday evening and overnight across the central to northern Plains. Some of these storms may become strong to severe, with damaging winds and hail possible. The greatest risk centers across western and central Kansas into northern Oklahoma where an upper level disturbance moving through the central Rockies is expected to encourage development. In addition to strong winds and hail, heavy rain is a threat as well, with localized flash flooding possible. Farther to the north, as an area of low pressure strengthens over central Canada, a well-defined cold front is forecast to advance from the northern Rockies into the northern Plains on Sunday. Showers and storms developing ahead of the front may become strong to severe as the front moves across the Dakotas toward Minnesota late Sunday into early Monday. Well above-normal to record breaking temperatures are expected from the central Rockies to the southern High Plains Sunday and Monday, with upper 90s and low 100s common across eastern New Mexico and West Texas both days. Dry conditions and gusty winds will once again support critical fire weather conditions across portions of the northern Intermountain West/Great Basin into the northern Rockies. Red Flag Warnings are currently in effect for portions of southern Idaho, northern Nevada, northern Utah, southern Wyoming and northern Colorado. Pereira Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php