…Heat wave builds over the Southwest and the West Coast this week…
…Heavy rain and flash flood potential continues for the Gulf Coast
states the next couple of days…
The forecast is on track for a dangerous heat wave to expand and intensify
across the West Coast this week as an upper-level ridge overhead
amplifies. As we close out the work week, triple-digit highs will be
commonplace from Seattle to Phoenix, which would challenge numerous high
temperature records across the Pacific Northwest (including the Seattle
and Portland areas) tomorrow and Friday. Widespread heat-related warnings
and advisories are in place across much of the West Coast through Friday
as this heat will be dangerous to anyone without effective air
conditioning or sufficient hydration. Some relief from the oppressive heat
will arrive over northern California and the Pacific Northwest this
weekend as low pressure moves in from the west, although dangerous heat is
expected to continue across the Southwest through next week.
Along the Gulf Coast, heavy rain and flash flooding remains the main
weather story this week as a stationary front and coastal low drive
multiple days of widespread showers and thunderstorms across the region.
The placement of the elongated area of low pressure in the western Gulf
will keep the focus for the most widespread rainfall over portions of the
central and upper Texas Gulf Coasts, and possibly a bit further north into
the Lower Mississippi Valley. Extremely moist Gulf air will lead to very
heavy downpours (upwards of 2-3″ per hours rates) with continued rounds of
storms moving onshore. Forecast areal average rainfall totals are in the
3-5″ range, with locally higher amounts of 7″+ possible, most likely near
the immediate coast. A Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall (level 2/4) is in
place for the region both today and tomorrow given the threat for
scattered instances of flash flooding. Storms will also increase along the
southeastern Atlantic Coast today and Thursday, and daily thunderstorm
chances will continue for the Florida Peninsula.
Elsewhere, a brief warm up from the early Fall-like weather is expected
across the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast tomorrow and Friday an an
upper-level ridge migrates eastward from the Midwest. On the heels of the
upper-ridge, an approaching frontal system will usher in transient showers
and thunderstorms to portions of the Central/Northern Plains and Upper
Midwest today, with moderate to locally heavy rainfall possible in the
Upper Midwest and the Central Rockies. The strongest storms this afternoon
could produce marginal severe hail and wind gusts, with isolated burn scar
flash flooding also possible over the Southern Rockies tomorrow.
Asherman/Putnam
Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php
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