513  
FXUS01 KWBC 031928  
PMDSPD  
 
SHORT RANGE FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
326 PM EDT WED JUL 03 2024  
 
VALID 00Z THU JUL 04 2024 - 00Z SAT JUL 06 2024  
 
...DANGEROUS HEATWAVE TO IMPACT MUCH OF THE WEST, WHILE OPPRESSIVE  
HEAT AND HUMIDITY ALSO SWELTER AREAS FROM THE SOUTHERN PLAINS TO  
THE MID-ATLANTIC...  
 
...FLASH FLOODING AND SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE OVER THE NEXT  
FEW DAYS ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE PLAINS, MIDWEST, AND OHIO VALLEY...  
 
RECORD-BREAKING AND DANGEROUS HEAT IS FORECAST TO MAKE THIS FOURTH  
OF JULY WEEK A SCORCHER ACROSS MUCH OF THE WEST AND FROM THE  
SOUTHERN PLAINS TO THE MID-ATLANTIC. NEARLY 150 MILLION RESIDENTS  
ARE CURRENTLY UNDER HEAT-RELATED WATCHES, WARNINGS, AND ADVISORIES  
THROUGHOUT 21 STATES AS OF THIS AFTERNOON. AN UPPER-LEVEL HIGH  
SITUATED JUST OFF THE WEST COAST TODAY IS FORECAST TO STRENGTHEN  
AND REORIENT DIRECTLY OVER THE WESTERN U.S. BY THE END OF THE  
WEEK. THIS PATTERN WILL SUPPORT WELL ABOVE AVERAGE TEMPERATURES  
OVER CALIFORNIA TODAY BEFORE HEAT SPREADS FURTHER ALONG THE WEST  
COAST BY THE END OF THE WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO  
REACH INTO THE 105-115F RANGE THROUGHOUT INTERIOR CALIFORNIA AWAY  
FROM THE IMMEDIATE COASTLINE, AS WELL AS INTO MUCH OF THE DESERT  
SOUTHWEST. AFTERNOON TEMPERATURES WILL ALSO BEGIN TO INCREASE  
ACROSS MUCH OF OREGON AND WASHINGTON BY THURSDAY AND FRIDAY, WITH  
WIDESPREAD HIGHS SOARING INTO THE 90S. DOZENS OF RECORD HIGHS ARE  
POSSIBLE, EXPRESSING THE RARITY OF THIS EARLY-JULY HEATWAVE. THE  
DURATION OF THIS HEAT IS ALSO CONCERNING AS SCORCHING ABOVE  
AVERAGE TEMPERATURES ARE FORECAST TO LINGER INTO NEXT WEEK. HEAT  
IMPACTS CAN COMPOUND OVER TIME, THEREFORE IT IS IMPORTANT TO  
REMAIN WEATHER AWARE AND FOLLOW THE ADVICE OF LOCAL OFFICIALS.  
THIS LEVEL OF HEAT THROUGHOUT THE SACRAMENTO AND SAN JOAQUIN  
VALLEYS OF CALIFORNIA COULD POSE A RISK TO ANYONE IF PROPER HEAT  
SAFETY IS NOT FOLLOWED. THIS INCLUDES STAYING HYDRATED, OUT OF  
DIRECT SUNLIGHT, AND IN BUILDINGS WITH SUFFICIENT  
AIR-CONDITIONING. IT IS ALSO VERY IMPORTANT TO CHECK ON THE SAFETY  
OF VULNERABLE FRIENDS, FAMILY, AND NEIGHBORS.  
 
OPPRESSIVE HEAT AND HUMIDITY WILL ALSO BE FOUND THROUGHOUT THE  
SOUTHERN PLAINS AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY INTO THE INDEPENDENCE  
DAY HOLIDAY WHILE ALSO EXPANDING EASTWARD TO THE MID-ATLANTIC FOR  
THE END OF THE WEEK. HIGH TEMPERATURES RISING INTO THE UPPER 90S  
AND LOW 100S ARE EXPECTED, WITH HEAT INDICES SOARING INTO THE 110S  
ACROSS THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. WARM OVERNIGHT CONDITIONS IN  
THE UPPER 70S AND LOW 80S WILL OFFER LITTLE RELIEF, LEADING TO A  
DANGEROUS SITUATION FOR THOSE WITHOUT ACCESS TO ADEQUATE COOLING.  
A COLD FRONT ENTERING THE SOUTHERN PLAINS IS ANTICIPATED TO OFFER  
COOLER AND BELOW AVERAGE TEMPERATURES TO OKLAHOMA AND MUCH OF  
NORTHERN/WESTERN TEXAS BY FRIDAY.  
 
AN ACTIVE AND STORMY WEATHER PATTERN OVER THE CENTRAL U.S. IS  
EXPECTED TO CREATE CHANCES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY  
RAINFALL, WHICH COULD IMPACT HOLIDAY GATHERINGS THIS WEEK. A  
DEVELOPING AREA OF LOW PRESSURE OVER THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS  
FORECAST TO PROGRESS INTO THE UPPER MIDWEST BY THURSDAY ALONG WITH  
A LINGERING FRONTAL BOUNDARY STRETCHING FROM THE LOWER GREAT LAKES  
TO THE CENTRAL PLAINS ARE ANTICIPATED TO BE THE TRIGGERS FOR SOME  
METEOROLOGICAL FIREWORKS. FOR THIS EVENING, THE BEST CHANCES FOR  
SCATTERED FLASH FLOODING DUE TO THUNDERSTORMS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING  
INTENSE RAINFALL RATES IS FORECAST BETWEEN EASTERN KANSAS AND THE  
OHIO VALLEY ALONG THE AFOREMENTIONED FRONTAL BOUNDARY. INSTANCES  
OF SEVERE WEATHER (MAINLY DAMAGING WIND GUSTS) ARE ALSO POSSIBLE,  
WITH CHANCES FOR SEVERE STORMS ALSO LOCATED IN PARTS OF THE  
NORTHERN/CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS CLOSER TO THE DEVELOPING LOW PRESSURE  
SYSTEM. BY INDEPENDENCE DAY, THUNDERSTORM CHANCES SPAN FROM THE  
SOUTHERN PLAINS/ROCKIES TO THE MIDDLE/UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND  
ALSO EASTWARD TO THE OHIO VALLEY AND MID-ATLANTIC. HOWEVER, THE  
GREATEST THREAT FOR STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE  
NEAR/ALONG THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY THROUGH PARTS OF THE MIDDLE AND  
UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. DAMAGING WIND GUSTS AND FREQUENT  
LIGHTNING ARE THE MOST LIKELY WEATHER HAZARD ASSOCIATED WITH THESE  
FOURTH OF JULY STORMS, WITH ISOLATED STRONG STORMS ALSO POSSIBLE  
INTO THE MIDWEST, OHIO VALLEY, AND MID-ATLANTIC BY TOMORROW  
EVENING. FLASH FLOODING WILL REMAIN A CONCERN THROUGHOUT THE UPPER  
MIDWEST AS WELL DUE TO YET ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS  
OVERLAPPING AREAS DEALING WITH ONGOING RIVER FLOODING AND  
SATURATED SOILS. RESIDENTS AND VISITORS LOCATED WITHIN AREAS  
EXPECTING SEVERE WEATHER AND/OR HEAVY RAINFALL THIS WEEK ARE  
ADVISED TO REMAIN WEATHER AWARE, HAVE MULTIPLE WAYS TO RECEIVE  
WARNINGS, AND NEVER DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS.  
 
ON FRIDAY, THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO PROGRESS EASTWARD WITH  
THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY INTO MUCH OF THE EASTERN THIRD OF THE  
COUNTRY. ISOLATED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS AND FLASH FLOODING ARE  
POSSIBLE. THE GREATEST THREAT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL WILL BE  
ASSOCIATED WITH THE AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ITSELF ACROSS PARTS OF  
THE UPPER MISSISSIPPI TO LOWER GREAT LAKES.  
 
SANTORELLI/SNELL  
 
GRAPHICS AVAILABLE AT  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/BASICWX/BASICWX_NDFD.PHP  

 
 
CLICK HERE TO GO TO PREVIOUS BULLETINS.

The Nexlab HPC Page Main Text Page