Weather

Early-season heat ahead on parts of the Plains

Across the country, little precipitation will occur during the next several days, although record-setting warmth in the nation’s mid-section will contrast with lingering cool conditions in the East and a slow transition to cooler weather in the West.

Heat will persist into early next week, however, in the Desert Southwest, where some low-elevation sites may experience temperatures of 100° or greater. On the Plains, weekend temperatures could approach 90° as far north as South Dakota.

Early next week, a storm system will cross the northern Pacific Coast, delivering cooler weather and widespread showers in the Northwest. By Tuesday, drought-easing showers may develop across portions of the northern Plains.

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10- day outlook calls for the likelihood of above-normal temperatures nationwide, except for cooler-than-normal conditions along and near the Pacific Coast.

Meanwhile, near- or below-normal precipitation across most of the country should contrast with wetter-than-normal weather across portions of the northern Plains and from the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys into the middle Atlantic States.