Weather

Even though Hurricane Michael will slowly weaken, it will pick up forward speed Thursday as it pushes northeast across the Southeast. The storm will remain strong enough to bring damaging winds, power failures and flooding rain until it moves off the coast of North Carolina late Thursday or early Friday. Isolated tornadoes may continue to occur south and east of the storm track, while coastal flooding is expected from Georgia to the Carolinas and southeastern Virginia.

Rain and thunderstorms not directly associated with the hurricane will drench the Northeast. The rain may be intense enough to cause flooding in parts of the Mid-Atlantic, the central Appalachians, New England and the eastern Great Lakes. The hurricane will bring stormy seas and rough surf to the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England coasts.

Much cooler and less humid air will settle from the Plains to the Mississippi Valley and western Great Lakes. Frost may develop in the colder parts of the Upper Midwest at night.

In the West, rain and high-country snow will fall across the central Rocky Mountains. Much of the rest of the region should be dry and sunny with temperatures below average.

FOCUS: Rain Brings End to Warm Spell in the East

The leading edge of a much cooler air mass moving into the Northeast on Thursday will bring rain and thunderstorms. The rain may be heavy enough to cause flash flooding. Temperatures by Saturday may fall by 20 to 30 degrees.