Weather

Tropical Storm Chris will continue to move off the coast of the Carolinas on Monday, strengthening over the warm waters of the Atlantic Ocean. The storm will threaten the coast of the Carolinas and southern Middle Atlantic states with rough seas and rip currents. There may also be an uptick in surf down to Florida’s east coast.

While strong winds and heavy rains remain offshore, a few drenching showers and thunderstorms will graze the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Drier air will grace many other communities across the Carolinas with low humidity.

The Northeast will warm as high pressure shifts offshore. Heat and humidity will also build across the lower Midwest ahead of a cold front triggering showers and thunderstorms across the upper Great Lakes. Farther south, showers and thunderstorms will rumble across the Gulf Coast and lower Mississippi Valley.

Heat will dominate the central Plains, northern Rockies and interior Northwest as moisture triggers more showers and thunderstorms across the Rocky Mountains and the higher terrain of Southern California. The afternoon will be most active, and some thunderstorms may produce damaging winds, flooding and dust storms in southern Arizona.

Very rough surf, higher tides and gusty winds will target the Carolina coast into midweek as the storm strengthens offshore. Owing to weak steering winds, the storm will effectively stall until early Wednesday, when it should begin to accelerate toward Atlantic Canada.