Weather

Record-challenging warmth will build Tuesday from the Southeast to the Middle Atlantic and the Ohio Valley. While much of the region can expect dry conditions, very spotty showers will develop across the South. A northern bulge in the jet stream and a strong high-pressure system will be in control of the weather pattern.

Clouds and rain are expected from Texas to southern Michigan and northern New England. In some spots, the rain will be heavy enough to cause urban and small-stream flooding. The risk of river flooding may continue over the next few weeks, even as river levels are projected to fluctuate over the lower Mississippi and Ohio Valleys.

Snow will develop over the Upper Midwest, with a few inches of accumulation expected in parts of Minnesota, northern Wisconsin and the western part of the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. Freezing rain will glaze surfaces from Iowa to the northern part of the Lower Peninsula of Michigan.

In the West, cold air will linger through midweek. Another mass of freezing air is expected to move into interior California, which may put crops at risk. Snow is expected to diminish over the central Rockies.

FOCUS: Strong Risk of Thunderstorms on Saturday

Thunderstorms may occur from East Texas to western Kentucky on Saturday and into Saturday night as a storm moves across the southern Plains. The storms may be severe in spots, producing strong winds, heavy rain and hail as they progress east.