Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 400 PM EDT Thu Sep 24 2020 Valid 00Z Fri Sep 25 2020 - 00Z Sun Sep 27 2020 ...Heavy rain associated with post-tropical cyclone Beta continues to slowly spread across the interior southern U.S. and the Carolinas over the next couple of days... ...Record high temperatures possible on Friday over the central and southern High Plains... ...Rain continues across the Pacific Northwest, but fire danger is elevated over the High Plains, Rockies and parts of the Great Basin.... Heavy rain ahead of post-tropical cyclone Beta continues to make an impact across interior section of the Deep South east of the lower Mississippi Valley today as the center of Beta slowly but steadily tracks toward the east-northeast. A warm front extending east from the center of Beta will continue to produce heavy rain from Mississippi to northern Alabama and Tennessee tonight, followed by the southern Appalachians into the Carolinas on Friday. The greatest threat of flash flooding should be across Mississippi northeastern Mississippi up through the southern Appalachians tonight. The post-tropical cyclone is expected to gradually weaken as it moves slowly toward the southern Appalachians over the next couple of days. The threat of heavy rain will also gradually lessen as the system becomes more diffused by the time it reaches the Carolinas early on Saturday. Nevertheless, locally heavy rain could result in flooding issues in these areas. Meanwhile, an active weather pattern will bring a low pressure system into the Pacific Northwest where unsettled weather will continue into the weekend. Some of the rain will reach into the northern Intermountain region. Meanwhile, upper-level ridging will extend from the Southwest to the northern Rockies and then eastward into the High Plains. This will lead to the possibility of record high temperatures on Friday over the central and southern High Plains. Fire weather will be elevated to critical from parts of the northern High Plains/Rockies to parts of the Great Basin through Saturday, as strong surface wind gusts and dry conditions sweep across ahead of a cold front. Smoke from wildfires will continue to result in poor air quality across parts of California and parts of the northern/central Rockies. Kebede/Kong Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php