Weather
Hot, largely dry pattern for much of the Heartland
A low-pressure system crossing the Southeast will remain the focus for showers and thunderstorms. Later this week, as the system emerges over the western Atlantic Ocean, there is the potential that a tropical cyclone could form east of the Carolinas.
Regardless of development, 5-day rainfall Southeastern totals could reach 1 to 3 inches or more. Meanwhile, many other areas of the country will experience little or no rainfall. Dry conditions will dominate the West, except along the Canadian border and in the southern Rockies. Mostly dry weather will also prevail in a broad area centered on the eastern Corn Belt, while scattered showers and thunderstorms will affect the northern and central Plains and the upper Midwest.
Elsewhere, building heat across the central and southern High Plains and the Southwest should contrast with near- or below-normal temperatures across the remainder of the country, except for ongoing hot weather in the Great Lakes and Northeastern States.
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of above-normal temperatures nationwide, except for cooler-than-normal conditions in the Northwest.
Meanwhile, near- or below-normal rainfall across most of the country should contrast with wetter-than-normal weather in a few areas, including the Pacific Northwest, the Northeast, and parts of the lower Southeast.