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 28, 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
Sun Jul 28 2024
Valid 12Z Sun Jul 28 2024 – 12Z Tue Jul 30 2024…Flash flooding possible in the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys Sunday, spreading
into the central/southern Appalachians by Monday……Severe thunderstorms expected across portions of the Northern/Central
Plains with flash flooding into the Upper Midwest Sunday……Cooler than normal for much of the West with monsoonal thunderstorms
for portions of the Southwest…A lingering frontal boundary snaking through the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys
deeper into the Southeast and off the Atlantic coast will continue to help
trigger scattered showers and thunderstorms over the next couple of days.
An upper-level wave passing over the Ohio/Tennessee Valleys will provide a
focus for more numerous storms on Sunday, possibly into the
central/southern Appalachians as well, with very moist, southerly Gulf
flow leading to some locally heavy downpours. A Slight Risk of Excessive
Rainfall (level 2/4) is in effect for the threat of some scattered
instances of flash flooding, particularly where storms may have the
tendency to backbuild/repeat over areas in vicinity of the frontal
boundary. Then, as the upper-level wave continues east on Monday, the
focus for storms will spread further into the central/southern
Appalachians, with another Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall in effect for
additional instances of flash flooding. High temperatures broadly across
the Ohio Valley into the Southeast and along the Gulf Coast will remain at
or a bit below average given widespread clouds and storms, with highs
generally in the mid-80s to low 90s.A frontal system passing slowly through the Northern/Central Plains and
the Upper Midwest will bring storm chances to these regions Sunday.
Plentiful moisture, instability, and strong upper-level flow overhead
leading to sufficient deep-layer shear is expected to result in some more
intense, organized storms. Initially isolated storms/supercells over
portions of South Dakota, central Nebraska, and northwestern Kansas may
produce some large hail and damaging winds. Eventual upscale growth into
an organized convective system Sunday evening may bring a damaging wind
threat downstream into southwestern Minnesota and northwestern Iowa. The
Storm Prediction Center has highlighted these areas with a Slight Risk
(level 2/5) of severe weather. The expanding coverage of storms heading
eastward, as well as plentiful moisture to lead to heavy rainfall rates,
will also bring the threat of flash flooding into Iowa. Additional storms
will continue ahead of the front over Minnesota through early morning
Sunday, with another round of storms expected Sunday night. Repeated
storms bringing heavy rainfall on top of already wet antecedent conditions
will lead to the risk of some scattered flash flooding here as well. A
Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall extends from portions of Minnesota
southward into Iowa to cover these threats. The system will continue into
the Great Lakes region Monday, bringing showers and storms with moderate
to locally heavy rainfall. High temperatures ahead of the front will be
rather hot, running 10-15 degrees above average for some locations, with
80s to near 90 in the Upper Midwest and 90s to low 100s southwestward into
the Central Plains and southern High Plains. A few near
record-tying/breaking highs will be possible in the southern High Plains
Monday.An upper-trough over the West will keep temperatures below average for
most of the region. Forecast highs Sunday-Monday range between the 60s and
70s along the Pacific Coast; 70s and 80s in the Pacific Northwest; 80s and
90s in the Great Basin, Four Corners Region, and interior California; and
the 100s into the Desert Southwest. Some Monsoonal storms will continue
over parts of the Southwest, particularly southeastern
Arizona/southwestern New Mexico, with an isolated threat of flash
flooding. A storm system approaching the Pacific Northwest will bring some
shower chances here as well. Smoke from wildfires will also continue to
plague parts of the West, particularly over the northern Great
Basin/Rockies, resulting in poor air quality and areas of reduced
visibility. Elsewhere, conditions will be trending hotter across most of
the Northeast, with 80s and low 90s forecast. A coastal low approaching
southern New England is looking more likely to bring cooler temperatures
and some rain chances over the next couple of days.