


Preliminary Forecasts
Issued by NWS
Issued by NWS
953 FXUS02 KWNH 050651 PREEPD Extended Forecast Discussion NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD 250 AM EDT Tue Aug 5 2025 Valid 12Z Fri Aug 08 2025 - 12Z Tue Aug 12 2025 ...Major to Extreme Heat for the Southwest and South-Central Plains; threat spreads to the Midwest/Great Lakes late week... ...Southeast U.S. coastal low being monitored by the NHC... ...Overview... An amplified upper trough will gradually transit east across the Northern U.S., driving thunderstorm chances from the Northern Rockies to the Midwest. A wavy frontal boundary will linger along the Gulf and Southeast Coasts, resulting in unsettled weather for portions of the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic, and NHC is monitoring a coastal low for potential tropical development mid/late week. Meanwhile, a strong ridge will be in place over the Southwest and Southern/Central Plains, which will create a significant Major to Extreme heat threat through the end of this week. High pressure ridging should extend into the Midwest/Great Lakes late this week into the weekend, resulting in increased temperatures and potentially a Major heat threat in these regions. There may also be an uptick in monsoonal flow into the Southwest/Southern Rockies by the weekend given some eastern Pacific moisture connection. ...Guidance/Predictability Assessment... Recent guidance continues to show really good agreement on the upper level pattern through the period, resulting in above average forecast confidence. All available guidance is capturing the synoptic pattern well, with strong upper ridging anchored over the Southwest and a deep trough slowly moving east across the northern U.S. with several embedded shortwaves. However, there is some uncertainty in the details of the sensible weather at the surface, with some differences in precipitation amounts and locations. Overall, the general consensus is for the heaviest rain to focus over the north-central Plains/Upper Midwest and from the Southeast Coast/Florida to the southern Mid-Atlantic. In the Southeast, precipitation intensity and location is also pending any frontal wave to tropical development later this week. Guidance has varied with the system and coastal to Appalachians QPF focus. The latest WPC medium-range product suite was mainly derived from a composite of GFS/ECMWF/UKMET/Canadian features for Friday and the weekend along with WPC continuity and the National Blend of Models (NBM). Opted to switch to a composite of then best clustered guidance of the GFS/ECMWF and GEFS/ECMWF ensemble means along with the NBM and WPC forecast continunity valid for early next week. ...Weather/Hazards Highlights... A rather expansive cool high pressure airmass will linger over the Eastern U.S. this week. High moisture content and instability near a front on the leading edge of this airmass will focus some localized heavy rain over the Southeast, which may raise flash flooding risks given wet antecedent conditions. WPC`s Excessive Rainfall Outlook (ERO) depicts Marginal Risk areas for Day 4/Friday and Day 5/Saturday from along the Southeast Coast/Florida to the Coastal Carolinas. This area is quite uncertain with how the front and coastal wave/low will evolve, and NHC is monitoring this area for potential tropical development later this week. Locally strong convection and heavy rains may also be possible in the north-central U.S. as shortwaves round to the eastern edge of the upper ridge from the Rockies/Plains and interact with a downstream frontal zone. Late week, expect the Northern to Central Plains/Upper Midwest/Great Lakes to see periodic rain and thunderstorms. WPC`s Day 4/5 EROs depict Marginal Risk areas for these regions on Friday and Saturday given moisture/instability pooling with shortwave passages. Activity will spread into the Great Lakes and down to the central Plains/Midwest this weekend. Meanwhile, the Southwest/Southern Rockies states could see some increasing monsoon showers by the weekend underneath the broad ridge given some moisture connection to an active east Pacific, albeit amid a relatively dry monsoon season so far to monitor. Cooler than average temperatures will continue on the cool side of the main frontal system for the East/Southeast U.S., while dangerous heat builds across the Southwest and Southern/Central Plains. Some locations may see high temperatures as high as 110-115 degrees, equating to Major to Extreme HeatRisk. Some relative relief may come next weekend as the upper high begins to weaken. Temperatures will also be warming to above normal across portions of the Midwest and Great Lakes late this week into the weekend then eventually the Northeast, which may create a Major HeatRisk. Some record high temperatures could be challenged and/or eclipsed late this week over the Southwest. Florida is forecast to see seasonable temperatures in the 90s, but with ample humidity allowing for some areas of Major HeatRisk there as well. Schichtel 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 (QPF), excessive rainfall outlook (ERO), winter weather outlook (WWO) probabilities, heat indices, and Key Messages can be accessed from: 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 $$