Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 340 PM EDT Tue Sep 15 2020 Valid 00Z Wed Sep 16 2020 - 00Z Fri Sep 18 2020 ...Sally to bring hurricane force winds and life-threatening flash flooding and storm surge to parts of the central Gulf Coast... ...Improving fire weather conditions expected across the West, with some much needed rainfall moving in by late Thursday... ...Surge of below normal temperatures will begin to march south and eastward from the Northern Plains to the Upper Midwest and Great Lakes on Wednesday and Thursday... The latest forecast for Hurricane Sally from the National Hurricane Center brings Sally inland by early Wednesday morning. Hurricane force winds, life-threatening storm surge, very heavy rainfall, and a threat for tornadoes will continue through Wednesday for portions of the Central Gulf Coast region. Sally is a slow moving storm so very heavy rainfall will likely bring a high risk for life-threatening and historic flash flooding. As Sally makes her way slowly inland, significant flash and urban flooding, as well as minor to moderate river flooding, are likely to spread northward into Alabama, northern Georgia, and the western Carolinas. The latest forecast storm total rainfall from Sally calls for 10 to 20+ inches of rain from far southeastern Mississippi to the western Florida Panhandle, with 4 to 8 inches (and locally higher amounts) farther inland along the track through the Southeast U.S.. Please refer to the latest advisory from the NHC for additional and updated information regarding Sally. Out West, dense smoke advisories and air quality alerts remain in place across much of the Northwest U.S. and parts of Central California. Compared to recent days, fire weather conditions should continue to improve across the Western U.S. ahead of a frontal boundary. By Thursday evening, some much anticipated rainfall is expected to move into parts of the Pacific Northwest. Above average temperatures will continue into Wednesday from the Western U.S. into the Central Plains and Midwest to the Northeast. A cold front dropping into the Northern Tier will bring a surge of colder temperatures spreading from the Northern Plains into the Upper Midwest/Great Lakes Wednesday into Thursday. Daytime highs could be 10 to 15 degrees below normal for some locations within this airmass. Elsewhere, the East Coast should remain comfortable and near normal the next few days, with below normal temperatures also expected within areas impacted by Hurricane Sally. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php