Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 128 AM EDT Fri Jul 03 2020 Valid 12Z Fri Jul 03 2020 - 12Z Sun Jul 05 2020 ...Showers and thunderstorms for parts of the northern Plains... ...Record highs possible for the Upper Midwest as well as parts of Florida... Cooler than normal temperatures will stay entrenched over the Pacific Northwest into the start of the holiday weekend as troughing maintains an onshore flow. High pressure over the western Great Lakes is forecast to bring warm/hot temperatures into the low 90s that could tie or break record highs from Minnesota to Wisconsin today. This heat will extend to the Mid-Atlantic where mid 90s will be possible for some coastal plain locations (Philly/DC/Richmond). Florida may see another day with near-record heat for a few places but generally near to below normal temperatures over the Southeast to the Gulf Coast. In eastern New England, a back-door cold front will bring in cool temperatures from the Atlantic with highs only in the low 70s around Boston today. Through Saturday, showers and thunderstorms are expected along a stationary frontal boundary from the Mid-South to the eastern Gulf Coast region and northern Florida, with some potential for flash flooding due to some localized heavy rain totals. Scattered showers and thunderstorms are expected for the Northeast in the vicinity of the back-door cold front today with a bit of clearing for Saturday. In the north-central U.S., a front will promote some rain and thunderstorms (some severe) as well as some flash flooding in areas that see heavier rain. On the southern part of the western upper-level trough, southwesterly flow ahead of a front will lead to gusty winds and low humidity in the Central Great Basin. While the highest concentration of Saharan dust has dissipated, another round impacting the western and central Gulf Coast states should linger into the weekend. 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. Fracasso Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php