Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 403 PM EDT Fri Jun 05 2020 Valid 00Z Sat Jun 06 2020 - 00Z Mon Jun 08 2020 ...Tropical moisture from Cristobal could cause heavy rainfall over the Gulf Coast and Florida ahead of landfall in Louisiana likely late Sunday... ...Scattered thunderstorms continue across parts of the eastern half of the U.S. through tonight... ...Increasing precipitation chances over the West with severe thunderstorms expected in the Northern/Central Plains over the weekend... ...Hot temperatures continue in the Plains while the West cools down dramatically... Cristobal has now restrengthened into a tropical storm, and is expected to track northward across the Gulf of Mexico over the next couple of days. Tropical moisture flowing ahead of Cristobal could cause downpours with storms particularly over the Florida peninsula tonight and into Saturday, with more widespread rain over the central and eastern Gulf Coast Saturday night and Sunday as Cristobal approaches. The tropical storm is currently forecast to make landfall Sunday evening in the central Gulf Coast of Louisiana. Please see the National Hurricane Center for additional and updated information on Cristobal. Scattered thunderstorms are expected over the Eastern Seaboard back into the Southeast and Lower Mississippi Valley through tonight, where warm and humid air is present ahead of a cold front. Locally heavy rain is possible with storms, and the potential for flooding is greatest across portions of the northern Mid-Atlantic where soils are already moist. Additionally, a Slight Risk of severe weather is in place for the Lower Mississippi Valley today. A potent upper-level low is forecast to track southeastward into the western U.S. over the next couple of days, while upper-level energy moves in from the subtropics as well. This and a frontal system at the surface will cause increasing precipitation chances mostly in the form of scattered thunderstorms through Saturday. Locally heavy rain is possible, with flash flooding not out of the question. Some snow is even possible, mostly in higher elevations of the Cascades and Northern Rockies, but snow levels are expected to lower even over portions of the Great Basin Sunday. Farther east over the Northern/Central Plains, severe weather will be a threat both Saturday and Sunday, with Enhanced Risks of severe weather in place. The West should see another warm day today, with critical fire danger, before quite a cooldown over the West Coast Saturday, pushing the fire danger to eastern Arizona/much of New Mexico/eastern Colorado. Cooler high temperatures of 15 to 30 degrees below average are forecast for the Great Basin Sunday as the upper trough continues moving eastward. Meanwhile, warm to hot temperatures will continue in the central U.S. over the weekend underneath upper-level ridging. The Plains could see high temperatures of 10 to 20 degrees above average, with highs in the 90s as far north as the Dakotas by Sunday. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php