A cold front extending from the Northeast to the southern Plains this afternoon will continue to spark scattered showers and thunderstorms through tonight.
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While interacting with a very warm and unstable airmass along eastern U.S., several storms may turn severe over the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast into late this evening.
The greatest threat with these storms will be associated with damaging wind gusts, particularly from northern Virginia to northern New Jersey, including southeast Pennsylvania, central Maryland, and Washington D.C.
Isolated tornadoes and large hail are also possible, with chances extending along the cold front from Maine to southeast Kentucky.
The severe weather threat is anticipated to gradually diminish and shift into the Southeast on Wednesday and Thursday.
Meanwhile, plentiful atmospheric moisture content within a sultry airmass located across the Deep South will continue to produce isolated-to-scattered chances for flash flooding over the next several days.
During this timeframe, a few weak low pressure systems may attempt to form along a convergence zone stretched out along the Gulf Coast.
These small and weak systems may locally enhance thunderstorm development and provide a focus for extreme rainfall rates.
In order to highlight the flash flooding concern, a Slight Risk of Excessive Rainfall has been issued for Wednesday and Thursday from southeast Louisiana to the western Florida Panhandle.
Several inches of rain falling within a short period of time could lead to scattered flash floods and ponding water on roads throughout this region.
Citizens are urged to use caution when traveling and never drive through a flooded roadway.
Additionally, flooding concerns extend into the Southwest and southern Rockies once again as monsoonal moisture remains locked in over this area.
Scattered thunderstorms may lead to isolated flash flooding throughout the Four Corners region through at least Thursday.
A heightened threat of flash flooding exists over northern New Mexico through tonight as heavy rainfall potentially occurs over highly sensitive terrain.
Hot temperatures also remain a major concern for parts of the central and western U.S. as we approach the midway point of July.
A strong upper-level ridge centered over the Four Corners region will set the stage for building waves of above normal temperatures and simmering heat.
Highs well into the triple digits are forecast to persist across much of Texas this afternoon and once again soar above 100 degrees on Wednesday.
Heat Advisories and Excessive Heat Warnings are in effect throughout central/eastern Texas, southeast Oklahoma, Arkansas, and Louisiana.
Dangerous heat is also impacting parts of the central/northern Great Basin today, with the bulk of the anomalous heat forecast to shift into the northern High Plains on Wednesday and the remainder of the northern/central Plains on Thursday.
Highs in these regions are expected to reach into the upper-90s and low 100s. ■