Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 320 PM EDT Thu Oct 24 2024 Valid 00Z Fri Oct 25 2024 - 00Z Sun Oct 27 2024 ...After a round of strong to possibly severe thunderstorms across the Midwest this evening into Thursday night, dry weather expected for most of lower 48 into the weekend... ...Well above average temperatures to continue for the southern U.S. into portions of the Southeast with potential for daily records... A mostly quiet and relatively uneventful fall weather pattern will continue for most areas across the nation into the beginning of the weekend. However, there will be a few exceptions, first from eastern Kansas into northern Illinois later this evening into Thursday night. Thunderstorms are expected to rapidly develop ahead of an approaching cold front. These storms will have the potential to produce large hail and strong straight line winds along with isolated flash flooding from heavy rain. The storms should weaken by sunrise Friday morning as they move east with the cold front. While showers and thunderstorms are likely to re-fire along the cold front later in the day on Friday, severe thunderstorms and/or flash flooding are not expected at this time. Cooler temperatures will follow behind the cold front for the central Plains and Upper Midwest, but well above average temperatures will maintain across the South, ahead of the cold front. Locations from the southern Plains into portions of the Southeast will see high temperatures in the upper 80s to low 90s, about 10 to 20 degrees above late October averages. Several daily record high maxima are expected on Friday and Saturday across the South. The combination of warm conditions, dry grounds, and gusty winds will increase the potential for wildfires, especially across eastern Colorado, Kansas and Oklahoma through tonight. Across the Northwest, a cold front will reach the region early on Saturday with areas of rain for western Oregon and Washington preceding the boundary. Through the weekend, this precipitation is not expected to be hazardous and will likely be beneficial for most of the region given recent dry conditions outside of the Olympics and far northern Cascades. Snow levels will be high enough to keep the precipitation type for most locations as rain, except for the highest elevations of the Olympics and Cascades where snow will mix in. Otto Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php