Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 359 AM EDT Sat Jul 18 2020 Valid 12Z Sat Jul 18 2020 - 12Z Mon Jul 20 2020 ...Stormy weekend from the Central Plains and Upper Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes... ...Searing summer heat to stretch from the High Plains to the East Coast this weekend... As the sun rises and the weekend kicks off, portions of the Midwest will already be dealing with strong-to-severe thunderstorms sweeping across the region this morning. Another round of severe storms are expected to develop this afternoon and evening as a cold front reaches the Upper Mississippi Valley. In addition to the severe threat, heavy rainfall rates within intense storms could lead to flash flooding in the northern and western Great Lakes today. As the cold front advances east on Sunday, the most at risk areas for severe weather and flash flooding becomes centered over the eastern Great Lakes. However, severe storms and heavy rainfall also look to extend along the elongated cold front extending west into the middle Mississippi Valley and central Plains. Spotty thunderstorms are also possible in the southern Rockies and High Plains late in the day on Sunday. The other "hot" topic this weekend is the sultry conditions from the Plains to the East Coast. Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings have been issued for much of the Midwest and central Plains with heat indices ranging between 105 and 110 degrees. Sweltering heat is also expected to engulf much of the Great Lakes and Northeast this weekend with day time highs in the mid-upper 90s and heat indices reaching triple digits. Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories are in place along portions of the Northeast's I-95 corridor and parts of the interior Northeast. Even farther west, abnormally hot conditions are possible in parts of the Southwest with and Excessive Heat Watch issued for the immediate Phoenix metro area on Sunday. Those escaping the stifling summer heat this weekend are the northern High Plains and northern Rockies where high temps will struggle to hit 90 this weekend. Mullinax Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php