Short Range Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 400 AM EDT Thu Oct 02 2025 Valid 12Z Thu Oct 02 2025 - 12Z Sat Oct 04 2025 ...Thunderstorms and heavy rainfall expected along the southeast Atlantic coast the next several days with isolated flash flooding possible... ...Cool and unsettled weather persists across portions of the Great Basin, Pacific Northwest, and northern Rockies... ...Unseasonably hot weather continues for much of the Plains and Midwest heading into the weekend with record challenging high temperatures likely... Strong surface high pressure will descend southward from Canada and settle over the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic today into Friday, bringing a much cooler and fall-like airmass to much of the region. Farther south, a prolonged stretch of easterly, onshore flow around the southern periphery of this area of high pressure will lead to swells, high surf, dangerous rip currents, and some coastal flooding along much of the East Coast the next few days. The persistent, moist, onshore flow will also bring repeated rounds of potentially heavy showers and thunderstorms to the coastlines of Florida, Georgia and possibly the Carolinas through the end of the week and into the weekend. Showers and storms capable of producing intense downpours will be most prevalent along eastern portions of the Florida peninsula where 1 to 3 inches of rain or more is possible through Saturday. While the overall risk is marginal, some localized instances of flash flooding can't be ruled out, particularly in urban or poor drainage areas. Unsettled and unseasonably cool weather will continue for parts of the Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, northern Rockies, and Intermountain West the next few days as a potent upper-level trough slowly digs across the region. Moist southwest flow out ahead of the deepening trough will bring increasing shower and thunderstorm activity starting later today and lasting through Friday and into the day on Saturday. Additionally, the cold air aloft associated with the upper level trough will support a bit of snow in the highest elevations of the northern Rockies, particularly on Saturday. In the lower elevations, some of the more intense showers and thunderstorms could contain periods of heavier rainfall. As a result, localized flash flooding will be possible, especially from the Sierra foothills into the Great Basin later today into Friday and portions of the Great Basin, northern Rockies, and Intermountain West Friday into Saturday. Given the prevalence of clouds and precipitation associated with the digging upper-level trough, high temperatures will stay on the cooler side of normal by roughly 10 to 20 degrees across much of the western U.S. through the end of the week and into the weekend. Downstream of the upper-level trough over the western U.S. is an expansive upper-level ridge that will further amplify over the central and later eastern U.S. the next few days. This ridge of high pressure will continue to support an extended period of unseasonably hot weather across the Plains and Midwest before expanding eastward through the end of the week and into the weekend. The hottest weather relative to normal will be confined to the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, where high temperatures will soar to between 10 and 20 degrees above normal today, to between 20 and 30 degrees above normal Friday and Saturday. High temperatures for many places will likely challenge records Friday and Saturday as highs climb well into the upper 80s to the low/mid 90s. Record high low temperatures Saturday morning are also likely for many places as well given temperatures forecast to only bottom out in the 60s to near 70. Despite the calendar saying it's October, it sure will be feeling much more summer-like than fall-like the next few days. Miller Graphics available at https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php