Weather

A large mass of very warm and humid air will linger Tuesday over the South, the Ohio Valley and the Mid-Atlantic and expand across New England. After patchy morning fog, most areas from the mid-Mississippi Valley to the coastal Northeast will be dry. Still, spotty tropical showers and thunderstorms will occur from the Carolinas and Florida to coastal Texas.

Hurricane Michael will move north over the central Gulf of Mexico. As the hurricane strengthens, seas will build over the Gulf and surf will become rough along the central and eastern beaches. The storm is projected to make landfall over the Florida Panhandle late Wednesday or Wednesday night, possibly as a Category 3 hurricane.

Drenching rain and severe thunderstorms will extend from the southern Plains to the Great Lakes. Enough rain will fall to cause urban, small-stream and river flooding. Snow will continue to fall from the northern Rockies to parts of the northern High Plains. Total accumulation from the storm, which began last weekend, may reach 2 feet at the higher elevations.

Showers will dampen parts of the Northwest. Much of the Southwest can expect sunshine, with temperatures slightly below average.

FOCUS: Northeast Turns Cooler Late in Week

Much cooler and less humid air will arrive in the Northeast on Thursday and Thursday night. Heavier rain and thunderstorms will develop along and ahead of the front. Highs on Friday and Saturday should be 15 to 25 degrees lower across the Northeast than at the beginning of the week.