Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 318 AM EDT Fri Jul 02 2021 Valid 12Z Fri Jul 02 2021 - 12Z Sun Jul 04 2021 ...Excessive heat continues across interior sections of the Northwest, the Northern Rockies, and the Northern High Plains... ...Locally heavy rainfall likely along a cold front from the Eastern U.S. to the Deep South and back into the Southern Plains... ...Monsoonal moisture will bring wet weather and daily storm chances to the Southwest into the weekend... With an upper level ridge parked over the Western U.S., excessive heat is expected to continue into the holiday weekend from the interior Northwest to the Northern High Plains. Well above normal temperatures will continue through the period, with highs into the 90s and 100s for many locations. A handful of daily records are possible across parts of the Northern Plains and Northern Great Basin. The heat has moderated somewhat since earlier in the week, however conditions remain oppressive just given the prolonged heat wave and ongoing heat stress with little relief expected overnight. Widespread excessive heat warnings and heat advisories remain in effect for much of the region. Showers and thunderstorms are likely along a cold front as it moves slowly east and southward through the Eastern U.S. and the South. The greatest chance for heavy rain on Friday should be across eastern portions of the Carolinas where WPC has highlighted a slight risk for excessive rainfall. Elsewhere, moderate to heavy rainfall and localized flooding are possible on Friday from parts of the Northeast, into the Deep South and the Southern Plains. Rain threats continue across the South this weekend as the frontal boundary settles along the Gulf Coast, with some showers also continuing across portions of the Northeast as a cyclone deepens offshore. The frontal passage should bring temperatures to near or below normal into this weekend, especially for parts of the northeast and central High Plains where daytime highs on Friday could be 10 to 20 degrees below normal. Monsoonal moisture into the Southwest will bring daily and diurnally driven showers and thunderstorms from Arizona into the southern Rockies/high Plains. Moderate to locally heavy rainfall is possible, with concerns for flash flooding, mainly on Friday across portions of southern Arizona and eastern New Mexico into western Texas. WPC has highlighted marginal to slight risks for excessive rains in these regions. Farther north, spotty showers are likely across parts of the central and northern plains along a nearly stationary and weak frontal boundary. Santorelli Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php