Weather

In the wake of Tuesday’s severe thunderstorms, dry weather will prevail Wednesday across the northern Appalachians and into much of New England. High pressure will extend from the Upper Midwest to the coast of Maine.

Clouds, showers and thunderstorms are expected from the central Plains to the Ohio Valley, the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast. Several storm systems will help bring moisture to the region, with a flow of tropical air from the Caribbean being funneled north by a larger storm near the Florida Panhandle. The storms may produce flash flooding and blinding downpours, impeding travel. The rain will also help break the drought that has been building in parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

Thunderstorms are projected to develop in a narrow zone separating dry air over the Rockies from moist air over the lower Plains. Scattered, gusty storms and hail are expected across the High Plains late in the day, from Montana and the western Dakotas to western and central Texas.

Showers and thunderstorms will extend from the Sierra Nevada to the upper part of the Great Basin and much of the Snake River Basin as a powerful storm moves inland. The rest of the West should be dry.

FOCUS: Extreme Drought Expands

The extreme drought affecting parts of the Southwest and the southern High Plains has expanded slightly since last week. The worst drought conditions can be found in the Four Corners and the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles.