Record Heat Grips Mid-Atlantic; Heat Persists in Ohio and Tennessee Valleys and Interior Southeast
- Severe Thunderstorms Threaten Northern Plains Tonight, Moving into Upper Midwest Thursday and Early Friday
- East-Central U.S. Faces Risk of Strong to Severe Thunderstorms Today and Thursday
- First Snowfall of the Season Expected in Northwestern Montana, with Fire Weather Concerns in Northern Rockies
A cold front has brought cooler temperatures to the northern Plains but has triggered clusters of strong thunderstorms across the Midwest this morning. Meanwhile, record heat is expected in the Mid-Atlantic, with temperatures potentially reaching 100 degrees around the nation’s capital. This heatwave will be brief in the Mid-Atlantic, as a cooler and wetter air mass from Canada is set to arrive by Thursday. However, the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys will experience a couple more days of high temperatures in the upper 90s before relief arrives.
As the cold front advances, it will lift the hot air, sparking thunderstorms that may become severe with heavy downpours and gusty winds. The highest risk of severe weather is expected from Ohio to the northern Mid-Atlantic later today and into the evening, with more storms possible farther south on Thursday.
In the northern Rockies, a strong cold front will bring sharply colder air, likely leading to the first snowflakes of the season in the high elevations of northwestern Montana. Additionally, fire weather concerns will persist across portions of the northern Rockies. This frontal system will continue moving across the northern and central Plains on Thursday, with severe weather threats extending from North Dakota to the Midwest.
In southern Texas, an upper low moving inland from the Gulf of Mexico has triggered scattered thunderstorms, with tropical moisture potentially leading to heavy rainfall along the western Gulf Coast. While monsoonal moisture has decreased over the southern Rockies, focused rain in southwestern New Mexico could lead to heavy downpours. By Thursday, the trailing cold front in the Plains is expected to push the rain eastward into the southern Plains, with the possibility of strong to severe storms.