Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 417 AM EDT Fri Oct 09 2020 Valid 12Z Fri Oct 09 2020 - 12Z Sun Oct 11 2020 ...Hurricane Delta forecast to make landfall over southern Louisiana Friday evening with life-threatening storm surge, destructive winds, and dangerous inland flooding... ...Heavy rain to impact Lower Mississippi Valley to Southern/Central Appalachians this weekend... ...Rain and snow in the Northwest; warm up over the Plains... Hurricane Delta continues to strengthen as it traverses northward across the Gulf of Mexico. It is forecast to make landfall along the southwest coast of Louisiana early Friday evening as a category 2 Hurricane. This carries with it the expectation of life-threatening storm surge to batter the Louisiana and eastern Texas coastlines, as destructive winds will cause additional damage to structures weakened by the last tropical system. Heavy rainfall on the order of 4-10 inches, with isolated amounts over 10 inches, will cause dangerous inland flash flooding events across the Lower Mississippi/Tennessee Valley this weekend. Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are also expected across much of the southeast and Florida. Delta will eventually weaken to a Tropical Storm on Saturday and to a Post-Tropical Cyclone on Sunday as it tracks up the Mississippi Valley and produces plenty of rainfall for the interior Southeast. Visit nhc.noaa.gov for more information about Hurricane Delta. An active weather pattern, including a pair of low pressure systems, will bring rain and some higher elevation snowfall to much of the Northwest this weekend. The pair of low pressure systems will sweep through the Pacific Northwest and produce 1-2 inches of rain, while higher elevations there and in the Northern Rockies may see measurable snowfall as a result. Meanwhile, a warm front moving across the Plains and Upper Midwest will enable temperatures to rise substantially in that part of the country this weekend. Some places could see high temperatures between 15-20 degrees above average for this time in October. Kebede Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php