Weather

A weather pattern similar to last week will allow flooding downpours to return to the East on Tuesday. The rain will be even more extensive, with downpours extending as far west as the Mississippi Valley. Heavy rain will affect the Appalachians and parts of the East Coast. Flooding may expand from urban areas to small streams and eventually some of the larger rivers. In areas where the ground remains saturated, it will take much less rain than last week to cause flooding, and strong winds may topple trees.

Dry air over New England will keep the rain at bay. Stiff breezes along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts will increase the number and strength of rip currents.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected for Arizona, New Mexico and Texas. The storms will help break the recent heat wave in Texas, but areas farther west are not expected to get much relief.

Most areas from the Plains to the Rockies, the Great Basin and the Pacific Coast should remain dry. Searing heat is in store for most areas west of the Rockies. This will continue to increase the risk of wildfires.

Focus: Soggy July For the Middle Atlantic

Rainfall for July has been far above normal from eastern Virginia to upstate New York. Baltimore has received more than 400 percent of normal rain levels this month. Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, has measured more than 11 inches of total rain in July.