942  
FXUS02 KWBC 130744  
PMDEPD  
 
EXTENDED FORECAST DISCUSSION  
NWS WEATHER PREDICTION CENTER COLLEGE PARK MD  
344 AM EDT SUN SEP 13 2026  
 
VALID 12Z TUE SEP 15 2026 - 12Z SAT SEP 19 2026  
 
 
...HAZARDOUS HEAT SUBSIDES OVER THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AS HEAVY RAIN  
THREATENS THE CENTRAL PLAINS, MIDDLE/UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND  
SOUTHWEST...  
 
   
..OVERVIEW
 
 
AN UPPER RIDGE, WHICH HAS RECENTLY PRODUCED HAZARDOUS HEAT IN THE  
SOUTH, WILL WEAKEN LATER THIS WEEK, LEADING TO A MODERATION IN  
TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN U.S.. THIS RIDGE WILL  
ALSO BE RESPONSIBLE FOR PULLING UP A CONTINUOUS STREAM OF MID-LEVEL  
VORTICITY LOBES FROM MEXICO, WHICH IN TURN WILL GENERATE MONSOON  
STORMS IN THE SOUTHWEST. PERSISTENT DIFFLUENCE OVER THE NORTH-  
CENTRAL U.S. WILL SUPPORT HEAVY RAINFALL FOR PORTIONS OF THE  
CENTRAL PLAINS AND MIDDLE/UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY.  
 
   
..GUIDANCE/PREDICTABILITY ASSESSMENT
 
 
MODELS ARE IN RELATIVELY GOOD AGREEMENT ON THE OVERALL SYNOPTIC  
PATTERN EVOLUTION ACROSS THE LOWER 48 DURING THE MEDIUM RANGE  
PERIOD. THE TIMING AND AMPLITUDE OF A SECOND SHORTWAVE ENTERING  
THE NORTHWEST AS WELL AS IT'S EVOLUTION THROUGH THE CENTRAL U.S. BY  
NEXT WEEKEND CARRIES SOME UNCERTAINTY.  
 
A GENERAL MODEL BLEND CONSISTING OF THE DETERMINISTIC AND AI MODELS  
ARE USED THROUGH DAY 4. THE ENSEMBLE MEANS ARE INTRODUCED ON DAY 5  
TO MITIGATE SOME OF THE UNCERTAINTY ASSOCIATED WITH THE  
WESTERN/CENTRAL U.S. TROUGH. THE AI MODELS ARE FAVORED IN THE BLEND  
DUE TO CONSISTENT CLUSTERING BETWEEN THE ECAIFS AND AIGFS.  
 
   
..WEATHER/HAZARDS HIGHLIGHTS
 
 
A QUASI-STATIONARY FRONT DRAPED ACROSS THE CENTRAL PLAINS AND  
MIDDLE/UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY WILL ACT AS A FOCUS FOR ANOMALOUS  
MOISTURE TO GENERATE A MULTI-DAY HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT BEGINNING ON  
TUESDAY. SCATTERED TO ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO ANTICIPATED  
ALONG THE FRONT. THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS LIKELY TO OCCUR  
BETWEEN EASTERN KANSAS/NEBRASKA INTO NORTHERN AND WESTERN ILLINOIS,  
WHERE SLIGHT RISKS (AT LEAST 15% CHANCE) OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL ARE  
IN EFFECT BETWEEN TUESDAY AND THURSDAY.  
 
MEANWHILE, LOBES OF SHORTWAVE VORTICITY STREAMING NORTH OUT OF  
MEXICO SHOULD INTERACT WITH ANOMALOUS MOISTURE AND MODEST INSTABILITY  
TO GENERATE MONSOON STORMS ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST THIS WEEK. SLIGHT  
RISKS OF EXCESSIVE RAINFALL ARE IN EFFECT FROM EASTERN ARIZONA INTO  
MUCH OF NEW MEXICO THROUGH THIS THURSDAY. SLOT CANYONS AND DRY  
WASHES ARE ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING FROM ANY STORMS  
THAT DEVELOP.  
 
ON WEDNESDAY, HEAT INDICES BETWEEN 100-110 ALONG WITH LOWS IN THE  
MID-TO-UPPER 70S WILL PRODUCE WIDESPREAD MAJOR TO EXTREME HEAT  
RISK ACROSS THE SOUTHERN PLAINS AND LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY. A  
WEAKENING RIDGE WILL SUPPORT MODERATING TEMPERATURES ACROSS THE  
SOUTHERN PLAINS BEGINNING ON THURSDAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS  
WORK THEIR WAY INTO THE EASTERN U.S. BEGINNING ON THURSDAY AND  
CONTINUING INTO THE WEEKEND.  
 
KEBEDE  
 
ADDITIONAL 3-7 DAY HAZARD INFORMATION CAN BE FOUND ON THE WPC  
MEDIUM RANGE HAZARDS OUTLOOK CHART AT:  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/THREATS/THREATS.PHP  
 
WPC MEDIUM RANGE 500MB HEIGHTS, SURFACE SYSTEMS, WEATHER GRIDS,  
QUANTITATIVE PRECIPITATION FORECAST, EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OUTLOOK,  
WINTER WEATHER OUTLOOK PROBABILITIES, HEAT INDICES AND KEY MESSAGES  
ARE AT:  
 
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/MEDR/5DAYFCST500_WBG.GIF  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/MEDR/5DAYFCST_WBG_CONUS.GIF  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/5KM_GRIDS/5KM_GRIDSBODY.HTML  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/QPF/DAY4-7.SHTML  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/#PAGE=ERO  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/WWD/PWPF_D47/PWPF_MEDR.PHP?DAY=4  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/HEAT_INDEX.SHTML  
HTTPS://WWW.WPC.NCEP.NOAA.GOV/#PAGE=OVW  
 

 
 
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