Weather

Seasonal warmth, rainfall for the Heartland

A record-setting Western heat wave will begin to ease, although above-normal temperatures will persist in most areas for the rest of the week. In the Pacific Northwest, however, temperatures will briefly fall to below-normal levels, accompanied by occasional showers.

With dry weather expected to persist during the next 5 days across much of the West, an elevated wildfire threat will continue in areas with ample fuels due to low humidity levels, occasional gusty winds, and the possibility of lightning strikes.

Dry weather will also affect large sections of the Plains and Midwest, excluding the upper Great Lakes region, through the end of the week. In contrast, showery conditions will persist in the Southeast.

Five-day rainfall totals could exceed 5 inches in the eastern Gulf Coast region, particularly along Florida’s west coast.

Looking ahead, the 6- to 10-day outlook calls for hotter-than-normal weather nationwide, except for near- or below-normal temperatures across the nation’s northern tier.

Meanwhile, drier-than-normal conditions in the southern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and central and southern Plains should contrast with near- or above-normal rainfall in other areas of the country.