Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 251 PM EDT Fri Aug 21 2020 Valid 00Z Sat Aug 22 2020 - 00Z Mon Aug 24 2020 ...Devastating wildfires rage in the West, more record heat likely in the Southwest and Intermountain West... ...Scattered showers and thunderstorms will persist for the coming days across the southeastern quadrant of the country... ...T.S. Laura & T.D. Fourteen move toward and into the Gulf of Mexico bringing heavy rains as early as Monday... Much of the western U.S., central Plains, and northern Plains is blanketed by a cloak of smoke due to wildfires that extend from the Rockies to the West Coast. Air quality alerts are in place across portions of the West due to the particle pollution, with some ash is deposition coating surfaces. Depending on the extent of the smoke in a given area, the sky is darker than usual and exhibiting redder colors throughout the day. Elevated risks for fire weather conditions continue in portions of the Northwest and northern Great Basin today and in/near the Northern Rockies on Saturday as gusty winds and low relative humidity levels persist. Monsoonal thunderstorms should provide some relief for select portions of the Southwest, but while severe drought and exceptionally dry fuels present, thunderstorms could spark additional wildfires today and into the weekend. The Desert Southwest and Great Basin continue to bake; Excessive Heat Warnings and Heat Advisories in effect from southern California to northern Arizona today and record high temperatures are slated for parts of the Southwest, the Rockies, and West Texas through Sunday. A persistent upper-level trough over the Deep South and a stalled frontal boundary over the Southeast today should trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms. There is also a threat for excessive rainfall as a Slight Risks for flash flooding have been posted in the the southern Appalachians for the remainder of today and tonight. Farther north, a pair of frontal boundaries should spark showers and storms in the Upper Midwest and New England, some of which could be severe across the Dakotas Friday afternoon and evening. Saturday looks to feature another round of showers and storms from the Tennessee and Ohio Valleys to the Mid-Atlantic coast. The Upper Mississippi Valley and northern Great Lakes can also anticipate spotty showers and storms the first half of the weekend. As a system moves across southeast Canada, record high temperatures are possible for southern New England and the northern Mid-Atlantic states on Monday. Tropical Storm Laura is moving west near the Leeward Islands and Tropical Depression Fourteen treks northwest through the northwestern Caribbean Sea. Both systems threat the Gulf Coast of the United States early to mid next week, with heavy rain possible as early as Monday. Please visit the National Hurricane Center for the latest advisories and forecast information for these systems. Roth Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php