580 
FXUS01 KWBC 071818
PMDSPD

Short Range Forecast Discussion
NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD
217 PM EDT Fri Aug 07 2026

Valid 00Z Sat Aug 08 2026 - 00Z Mon Aug 10 2026

...Dangerous heat peaks this weekend across the Western U.S.;
spreads into the Central U.S. next week...

...Unsettled weather persists east of the Rockies and over the
Southwest for the next few days...

...Poor air quality from wildfire smoke continues for parts of the
Pacific Northwest and Intermountain West...

The weather pattern is expected to remain largely unchanged
through the weekend, with a broad ridge of high pressure over the
West and eastward propagating frontal boundaries downstream.
Dangerous heat will build under the ridge of high pressure, with
widespread Major to locally Extreme HeatRisk over the Desert
Southwest and Intermountain West through the weekend. Daytime high
temperatures are forecast to range from the 90s to locally over
110 degrees, 7 to 12 degrees above normal for this time of year,
and new temperature records could be set. Hot and dry weather will
support elevated wildfire conditions across the northern
Intermountain West, which will allow for rapid fire spread. High
pressure over the region will also limit dispersion of smoke from
ongoing fires and will likely result in air quality issues through
the weekend. Early next week, the ridge will expand eastward,
allowing heat to spread from the Central High Plains to the
Mid-Mississippi Valley, and heat will likely spread to the
Southeast by mid-week.  

Downstream, upper level troughing will drive a series of frontal
boundaries across the North-Central U.S., Northeast, and
Mid-Atlantic. This will bring scattered showers and storms to much
of the Central and Eastern U.S. through the weekend, with enhanced
convection along thunderstorm outflow boundaries. Any
thunderstorms that form will be capable of producing heavy
rainfall, and isolated to scattered severe thunderstorms will be
possible across the Northern/Central Plains and portions of the
Midwest and Mid-Atlantic. A few of the strongest storms this
afternoon could become more organized and produce hail and/or
damaging wind gusts. Unsettled weather will also persist in the
Southwest as monsoonal moisture supports daily rounds of
thunderstorms with locally heavy rainfall and isolated instances
of flash flooding.
 

Dolan/Asherman


Graphics available at
https://www.wpc.ncep.noaa.gov/basicwx/basicwx_ndfd.php




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