Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 349 PM EDT Sat Jul 03 2021 Valid 00Z Sun Jul 04 2021 - 00Z Tue Jul 06 2021 ...Excessive heat to continue across the Northwest and Northern Plains... ...Locally heavy rain likely along a frontal boundary draped across the Gulf Coast with monsoon moisture likely across the Southwest... ...Slight risk for severe thunderstorms from northeast Colorado into western Nebraska on Saturday and the southern High Plains on Sunday... ...Tropical Cyclone Elsa is expected to approach southern Florida on Monday.... Well-above normal temperatures remain in place from the northwestern to the north-central U.S. With temperatures climbing once again into the upper 90s to low 100s today, Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings remain in effect for much of the interior valleys of Washington, Oregon, and far northern California, as well as for portions of Idaho, northern Nevada, northern Utah, and eastern Montana. While daytime highs are expected to drop by a few degrees on Sunday, temperatures are forecast to remain well-above normal across much of the region through the remainder of the weekend. Across the Southwest, monsoon moisture is expected to fuel rounds of showers and thunderstorms, capable of producing heavy rainfall amounts and localized flash flooding concerns across portions of Arizona and New Mexico on Saturday and Sunday. From Texas to southern Georgia and North Florida, a slow-moving frontal boundary settling into the Southeast and Gulf Coast states is expected to bring showers and thunderstorms each day through Monday. Some of these storms may produce locally heavy rainfall amounts, resulting in localized flooding concerns. Showers and thunderstorms are also expected farther to the north from the central High Plains into the Dakotas today. Some storms may become severe -- producing damaging wind gusts and large hail during the late afternoon and evening. Additional storms are expected over the central U.S. on Sunday, with severe storms capable of damaging winds and large hail possible over the southern High Plains. A few storms are also possible from the central Plains into the upper Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes. Across much of the remainder of the Midwest into the Mid-South, high pressure and dry conditions are expected to continue into early next week. Across the Northeast, an upper level low pressure system will bring periods of rain and unseasonably cool temperature to the region through the weekend, before temperatures begin to rebound on Monday. Lastly, tropical cyclone Elsa is forecast to track across eastern and central Cuba over the weekend, moving north of the island on Monday. There is an increasing risk of tropical storm conditions, storm surge, and rainfall impacts beginning Monday in the Florida Keys and the southern Florida Peninsula. Interests in Florida and along the southeast U.S. coast should monitor Elsa's progress and updates to the forecast. Pereira Graphics available at www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php