Weather

Drenching showers and thunderstorms will affect many drought-stricken areas of New England and northern New York state on Saturday, with flooding possible. The rain will depart hard-hit flood areas of the central and southern Appalachians. More showers and storms are forecast for the Middle Atlantic Coast and the Southeast states. Some of these storms may be strong, with gusts and isolated flash flooding.

Farther west, most areas from the Great Lakes Region to the Ohio Valley and southern and central Plains can expect sunny, hot and humid conditions. A bubble of high pressure will settle over this region. Meanwhile, a swath of strong to locally severe storms is forecast to extend from parts of the northern Plains and Upper Midwest to the central High Plains. A few of these storms have the potential to bring strong wind gusts, hail and flash flooding.

The vast majority of the West can expect dry and sunny conditions to continue. That will create the ongoing risk of existing wildfire spread and new wildfire ignition. Temperatures are forecast to be close to seasonable levels in the Northwest. In the Southwest, hotter-than-average conditions are expected. Only a couple of storms are likely to dot the Rockies during the afternoon hours.

FOCUS: Pattern Change for the East

The plume of tropical moisture that has directed rain from the Southeast to the interior Northeast will be suppressed to the south and east this weekend. The result will be drier weather from Pennsylvania to northern Virginia.