Weather
Cooler, drier air to settle across the Heartland
A cold front currently crossing the north-central U.S. will deliver cooler weather across the Midwest and East, starting late in the week and continuing through the weekend.
Showers and thunderstorms in advance of the front could result in 5-day rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches or more in the southern and eastern Corn Belt, extending eastward to the Appalachians. In contrast, little or no rain will fall across drought-affected areas of the northern Plains and upper Midwest.
Dry weather will also cover much of the West, accompanied by another dangerous heat wave that will result in triple-digit temperatures (100°F or greater) into the weekend as far north as eastern Washington.
In the Southwest, however, a monsoon surge could result in heavy showers and flash flooding, mainly in Arizona and New Mexico.
Elsewhere, Tropical Storm Fred will approach the southern Atlantic Coast, possibly reaching Florida as early as Friday night. Regardless of further development, Fred could result in gusty winds and weekend flooding in Florida.
Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of near- or above-normal temperatures in northern and central California and from the Plains to the East Coast, while cooler-than-normal conditions will cover much of the West.
Meanwhile, near- or above-normal temperatures across most of the country should contrast with drier-than-normal weather in southern Texas and from the Great Lakes into the Northeast.
