Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 317 AM EDT Fri Jul 24 2020 Valid 12Z Fri Jul 24 2020 - 12Z Sun Jul 26 2020 ...Tropical Storm Hanna to produce heavy rainfall for parts of the Gulf Coast this weekend; Tropical Storm Warnings up for the Texas Coast... ...Heavy Rainfall/flash flooding possible for parts of the Southwest, Rockies, and the Northern and Central Plains over the next few days... ...Cooler temperatures to return to the West... One of the issues this weekend will be the threat of heavy rainfall and wind posed by Tropical Storm Hanna. The strengthening tropical storm is forecast to approach toward the Lower Texas coast. Localized heavy rainfall may lead to flash flooding through Friday across portions of the Central and Western Gulf Coast. Rainfall rates/totals will pick up on Saturday as the storm makes landfall in south Texas. Several inches of rain could fall locally due to Hanna. For more information on Hanna's status as a tropical cyclone, see advisories from the National Hurricane Center. Heavy rainfall will also occur over the Northern Plains ahead of a pair of low pressure systems and attendant fronts emerging from the Rockies. A Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall area exists in South Dakota on Friday and Minnesota/Wisconsin on Saturday as the systems approach the region, luring moisture in from the south. A Slight Risk of Severe Weather exists over the Dakotas and Nebraska Friday into Saturday morning. On Sunday, excessive rainfall concerns shift eastward into Minnesota, with heavy rains on Monday expected across the Central Plains and Corn Belt near a stalling front. Above average temperatures are expected to continue from the Northern Plains to the Upper Great Lakes through Saturday. Night time temperatures will be particularly warm as lows are expected to bottom out in just the low to mid-70s, which may be up to 20 degrees above average for that area. In the Southwest, monsoonal moisture will be a fixture in the forecast as we progress through the weekend over the Four Corners region, though it is expected to be on the wane in Arizona by Monday. Rainfall rates may be heavy at times with excessive rainfall a cause for concern in parts of Arizona and New Mexico on Saturday and Sunday, resulting in the issuance of a Slight Risk for flash flooding/excessive rainfall. Otherwise, much of the western U.S. can expect cooler than normal conditions thanks to an upper-level trough. Roth/Kebede Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php