Weather
Drought, heat & storms to dominate the Heartland
Extraordinary Northwestern heat will gradually subside, but triple-digit temperatures (100°F) will affect portions of the northern Plains during the Independence Day weekend. In addition, temperatures will remain at above-normal levels throughout the drought-stricken western U.S. Meanwhile, favorably cooler conditions will briefly overspread the Northeast, followed by the return of hot weather early next week.
During the next several days, heavy showers will shift southward toward the Gulf Coast, leaving most of the country under a dry regime. However, the potential for heavy rain still exists for the remainder of Thursday from the mid-Atlantic to the southern Plains. Occasional downpours may occur across the Deep South, boosting 5-day totals to 2 to 4 inches or more in some locations. In contrast, mostly dry weather will prevail into next week across the Midwest and from the Pacific Coast to the northern Plains.
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Elsa will march northwestward across the Atlantic Ocean, potentially approaching or reaching Florida’s peninsula early next week.
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for hot weather throughout the northern and western U.S., while cooler-than-normal conditions will cover an area stretching from the southern Plains into the lower Southeast.
Meanwhile, below-normal rainfall from the Pacific Coast to the northern and central High Plains should contrast with wetter-than-normal weather across much of the South, East, and Midwest.
