Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 356 AM EDT Sun Sep 27 2020 Valid 12Z Sun Sep 27 2020 - 12Z Tue Sep 29 2020 ...Elevated to critical fire weather conditions across a broad portion of the western U.S. and Plains... ...A strong cold front is set to dispense much below normal temperatures across much of the Heartland... ...Heavy showers and storms possible in the mid-Mississippi Valley today, then across the eastern U.S. the first half of the week... A strengthening area of high pressure over the West combined with a surface trough anchored just off the California coast sets the stage for several days worth of dry and windy conditions along the West Coast. There are Critical Risks for fire weather in both northern and southern California on Sunday and Monday. Favorable fire weather conditions look to persist over southern California into Tuesday as high pressure remains entrenched over the Great Basin and Intermountain West. Elevated risk areas are also in place in portions of the Plains and Southwest are also at risk for favorable fire weather conditions both today and into Monday as gusty winds and low humidity levels transpire in wake of a cold frontal passage. The aforementioned cold front ushers in a much cooler air-mass compared to the summer-like temperature regime observed over the last couple days throughout the Plains and Midwest. Regions that are still likely to witness hotter than normal conditions today are West Texas and the southern Four Corners states, but even these regions can expect considerably cooler temperatures to arrive on Monday. Temperature anomalies may range between 10 and 15 degrees below normal in the central and southern High Plains on Monday. While temperatures fall precipitously in the Heartland, seasonally warm conditions will set up shop up and down the East Coast with the warmest anomalies over New England. Precipitation-wise, the cold front tracking through the central U.S. Sunday will trigger showers and thunderstorms in parts of the Central Plains and Mississippi Valley. Some storms could be severe and may also generate excessive rainfall, leading to the issuance of a pair of marginal risks for severe weather and flash flooding in sections of these regions. The cold front by Monday stretches from the Great Lakes to South Texas with additional scattered showers and thunderstorms along and ahead of the front. Marginal risks for severe weather and flash flooding are in place over parts of the Lower Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and the Southeast. The front slows down as it reaches the Appalachians Tuesday morning, making for a wet and stormy Tuesday up and down the East Coast. A Slight Risk for flash flooding extends from the Carolinas to New England on Tuesday. Mullinax Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php