Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 356 AM EDT Wed Jul 01 2020 Valid 12Z Wed Jul 01 2020 - 12Z Fri Jul 03 2020 ...Flash flooding is possible with thunderstorms in the Middle Mississippi Valley to Tennessee Valley today... ...Some precipitation and cooler temperatures remain over the Northwest, but the Great Basin will see fire danger... ...Hot temperatures forecast for the Plains to Upper Midwest.... Today, scattered showers and thunderstorms are possible for parts of the central and eastern U.S. A frontal boundary is forecast to help focus rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches over portions of the Middle Mississippi Valley and Tennessee Valley, which will lead to flash flooding concerns there. Thus, a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall is in place and so are Flash Flood Watches. A few storms could be strong to severe as well. An upper-level low is expected to persist over the Northeast today and ease offshore Thursday, and showers and thunderstorms are likely there. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast for portions of the Plains to the Southeast on Thursday, but rainfall totals should generally remain under an inch. An upper-level low over the Northwest may lead to some additional precipitation there today, but the rain and higher-elevation snow should taper off for the late week. High temperatures are forecast to remain 10 to 20 degrees below average over the Northern Great Basin and Northern Rockies underneath the upper low. Farther south, fire danger is expected with gusty winds and low humidity, and a Critical Risk of fire weather is in place today for portions of the Central Great Basin, with an Elevated Risk toward the Southwest and toward the Central High Plains. Upper-level ridging is forecast in the central U.S. between the upper lows in the Northwest and Northeast. This will cause continued above normal temperatures across the Plains and into the Upper Midwest and Upper Great Lakes today, reaching the Northeast Thursday. Heat Advisories are in effect for parts of the Southern and Central Plains as well as the Middle and Lower Mississippi Valley. Hot temperatures should also continue over Florida. Many record warm minimum temperatures could be set this morning from the Southern Plains to Florida and in the Upper Midwest. While the highest concentration of Saharan dust has dissipated, the next round impacting the western and central Gulf Coast states today should persist into late week. The primary impacts of the Saharan dust are hazy skies during the day, locally reduced visibility, degraded air quality, and the potential for vividly colorful sunrises and sunsets. Tate Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php