Today Through the Fourth Friday (22 to 28 days) Weather Outlook for the U.S. and a Six-Day Forecast for the World: posted July 18, 2024
This article focuses on what we are paying attention to in the next 48 to 72 hours. The article also includes weather maps for longer-term U.S. outlooks and a six-day World weather outlook which can be very useful for travelers.
First the NWS Short Range Forecast. The afternoon NWS text update can be found here after about 4 p.m. New York time but it is unlikely to have changed very much from the morning update. The images in this article automatically update.
Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
Thu Jul 18 2024
Valid 12Z Thu Jul 18 2024 – 12Z Sat Jul 20 2024…There is a Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms over parts of the
southern Mid-Atlantic on Thursday……There is a Slight Risk of excessive rainfall over parts of the southern
Mid-Atlantic, Southern Plains/Lower Mississippi Valley, and Southern High
Plains/Southern Rockies on Thursday and over the southern Mid-Atlantic and
Southern Rockies on Friday……There are Excessive Heat Warnings/Watches and Heat Advisories over
parts of the Pacific Northwest into parts of California/Southwest…A front extending from Northern New England to the Mid-Atlantic and then
southwestward to the Central Gulf Coast and western Texas will move off
the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic Coast by Friday. Also, the southern half of
the boundary will linger near the Southeast and across the Gulf Coast
States through Friday evening. The lingering boundary will produce
showers and severe thunderstorms over parts of the southern Mid-Atlantic.
Therefore, the SPC has issued a Slight Risk (level 2/5) of severe
thunderstorms over parts of the southern Mid-Atlantic through Friday
morning. The hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent
lightning, severe thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a minimal threat of
tornadoes.In addition, the showers and thunderstorms will create heavy rain over
parts of the southern Mid-Atlantic. Therefore, the WPC has issued a Slight
Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over parts of the southern
Mid-Atlantic through Friday morning. The associated heavy rain will
create mainly localized areas of flash flooding, with urban areas, roads,
small streams, and low-lying areas the most vulnerable.A Second area of heavy rain will develop along the front over parts of the
Southern Plains/Lower Mississippi Valley. Therefore, the WPC has issued a
Slight Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over parts of the Southern
Plains/Lower Mississippi Valley through Friday morning. The associated
heavy rain will create mainly localized areas of flash flooding, with
urban areas, roads, small streams, and low-lying areas the most
vulnerable. Moreover, tropical moisture and upper-level impulses will
produce showers and thunderstorms over parts of the Gulf Coast to the
Southeast.Further, a third area of heavy rain will develop over parts of the
Southern High Plains/Southern Rockies. Therefore, the WPC has issued a
Slight Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over parts of the Southern
High Plains/Southern Rockies through Friday morning. The associated heavy
rain will create mainly localized areas of flash flooding, with urban
areas, roads, small streams, low-lying areas, and burn scars the most
vulnerable.In addition, moisture over the Southwest and daytime heating will produce
showers and thunderstorms over parts of the Great Basin and Southwest from
the late afternoon into late evening. Additionally, on Thursday,
upper-level impulses going over an upper-level ridge over the Northern
Rockies/Northern High Plains and moisture will produce scattered showers
and thunderstorms over parts of the Northern/Central Rockies.On Friday, the tropical moisture and nearby boundary will produce showers
and thunderstorms over the Central Gulf Coast to the Southeast and
southern Mid-Atlantic. Some showers and thunderstorms will create heavy
rain over parts of the southern Mid-Atlantic. Therefore, the WPC has
issued a Slight Risk (level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over parts of the
southern Mid-Atlantic from Friday through Saturday morning. The
associated heavy rain will create mainly localized areas of flash
flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, and low-lying areas the
most vulnerable.Furthermore, monsoonal moisture and daytime heating will aid in producing
showers and thunderstorms over parts of the Southwest, Great Basin, and
Central/Southern Rockies from the late afternoon into late evening. An
area of showers and thunderstorms will create heavy rain over parts of the
Southern Rockies/High Plains. Therefore, the WPC has issued a Slight Risk
(level 2/4) of excessive rainfall over parts of the Southern
Rockies/Southern High Plains from Friday through Saturday morning. The
associated heavy rain will create mainly localized areas of flash
flooding, with urban areas, roads, small streams, low-lying areas, and
burn scars the most vulnerable.Moreover, the upper-level energy moving out of the Northern Rockies into
the Northern/Central Plains will produce showers and strong to severe
thunderstorms with areas of heavy rain. Therefore, the SPC has issued a
Marginal Risk (level 1/5) of severe thunderstorms over parts of the
Northern/Central High Plains from Friday through Saturday morning. The
hazards associated with these thunderstorms are frequent lightning, severe
thunderstorm wind gusts, hail, and a minimal threat of tornadoes.
Additionally, the WPC has issued a Marginal Risk (level 1/4) of excessive
rainfall over parts of the Northern/Central Plains from Friday through
Saturday morning. The associated heavy rain will create localized areas
of flash flooding, affecting areas that experience rapid runoff with heavy
rain.Meanwhile, upper-level ridging will build over the Northern Rockies to the
Southwest, spawning Excessive Heat Warnings/Watches and Heat Advisories
over parts of the Pacific Northwest from Thursday into Saturday. Moreover,
the upper-level ridge has prompted Excessive Heat Watches and Heat
Advisories over parts of California and the Southwest. The ridging will
create widespread high temperatures in the 90s to 100s followed by little
overnight relief, with lows in the upper 60s to 70s representing a 20-35
degree departure from average for many areas. The multi-day nature of this
event will create dangerous conditions, particularly for people who are
especially vulnerable to the effects of heat, such as young children,
older adults, people with chronic medical conditions, and pregnant women.