Welcome rains for the N. Plains, upper Midwest

Weather

Welcome rains for the N. Plains, upper Midwest

Tropical Storm Henri—expected to become a hurricane by Saturday—will move northward and could make landfall on Long Island or in southern New England by Sunday.

Henri poses a significant threat to the northern Atlantic region due to the potential for flooding rain, damaging winds, heavy surf, and a coastal storm surge.

Meanwhile, a cold front crossing the nation’s mid-section will remain the focus for showers and thunderstorms. Additional rainfall across the northern Plains and upper Midwest could total 1 to 3 inches or more, starting the process of slow recovery from a protracted drought.

In contrast, hot, mostly dry conditions will prevail across the Great Basin and Pacific Coast States. Hot weather will also return across the Southwest, following the recent monsoon surge.

Elsewhere, heat will further build during the weekend and early next week across the central and southern Plains and middle and lower Mississippi Valley.

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for the likelihood of above-normal temperatures nearly nationwide, although cooler-than-normal conditions will prevail in parts of the upper Midwest.

Meanwhile, near- or below-normal rainfall across much of the country should contrast with wetter-than-normal weather across the lower Mississippi, portions of the central Plains, and the Appalachians and environs.

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