Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 400 AM EDT Fri Jun 05 2020 Valid 12Z Fri Jun 05 2020 - 12Z Sun Jun 07 2020 ...Scattered thunderstorms resume today from the Plains to the Mid-Atlantic with highest chance of severe weather in the Mid-Mississippi Valley... ...Highest chance of severe thunderstorms shifts to northern Plains during the weekend ahead of a developing low pressure system... ...Excessive heat continues today across parts of the Southwest... ...Tropical downpours ahead of tropical storm Cristobal could impact the central and eastern Gulf coast and Florida toward the latter half of the weekend... Much of the eastern two-thirds of the country will continue to be under the influence of an anomalously warm and humid air mass for the next couple of days. Daytime heating will once again trigger scattered thunderstorms with the Mid-Mississippi Valley having the highest chance of seeing severe weather today. Meanwhile, a low pressure system currently developing over the Great Basin is forecast to reach the northern Rockies on Saturday. This will shift the threat of severe thunderstorms into the northern Plains through much of the weekend ahead of a warm front associated with the intensifying low pressure system. Winds are expected to become strong and gusty across the northern and central Rockies and into the northern Plains especially on Sunday as the storm center tracks across the region. Cold air behind the storm will be ushered across the Pacific Northwest into the northern Rockies where wet snow could fall over the higher elevations by Sunday morning. Meanwhile, a cool air mass moving across the Great Lakes will break the heat and humidity across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic on Sunday. A warmer than average pattern is expected to persist across much of the nation through Friday. Excessive Heat Warnings over parts of the Southwest and Heat Advisories over portions of California are in effect through this evening, before an upper-level low approaches and cools down the Pacific coast by Friday, and more of the West by Saturday. In conjunction with the warm temperatures, the Intermountain West and Southwest could see Elevated to Critical fire danger. High temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees above average will be widespread across the High Plains through Saturday, and record high minimum and maximum temperatures could be set. Temperatures should be several degrees above average over the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic/Northeast as well. Though Tropical Depression Cristobal remains far south of the U.S., currently over southern Mexico, associated tropical moisture is expected to flow into Florida and help cause widespread rain and thunderstorms there. Flooding and flash flooding are possible there over the next few days as storms will be slow-moving, and below normal temperatures are forecast considering the cloudiness and rain. Cristobal is expected to strengthen back into a tropical storm as it moves northward over the Gulf of Mexico over the next few days. Rainfall chances should increase by Saturday over the Gulf Coast north of the system, after scattered activity Friday. Kong/Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php