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Severe storms will be possible throughout the eastern half of the US today, particularly in the mid-South, Southeast and southern portion of the Central US. In the West, strong storms could occur over Denver and surrounding areas.
The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued a warning for severe thunderstorms over two fronts in particular on Thursday. The first is in southern Texas near San Antonio. The second front is over portions of central, eastern and northeastern Mississippi, extending into Western and northwestern Alabama.
The stubborn low hanging over the southern US will draw up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico allowing for pop-up showers and storms to form across the South. Severe storms could occur all across southern Texas, southern Arkansas, and throughout much of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee, South Carolina, North Carolina, Kentucky and across southern and eastern Virginia.
The highest risk is for damaging winds, with a lesser risk of hail and isolated tornadoes.
Storms could bring heavy rain with potential flash flooding into portions of the upper Midwest, particularly over northern Missouri; eastern and southeastern Iowa; northern and western Illinois; eastern, northeastern and southern Wisconsin and northern Michigan.
In the southeast, the remnants of what was Tropical Storm Bertha will bring heavy rain and the threat of flash flooding to portions of northeastern South Carolina, eastern North Carolina and eastern Virginia.
In the western US, temperatures 20 degrees or more above normal could set new record highs. The highest temperatures will occur across the Desert Southwest, particularly in the inland portions of California, into southern Nevada and Arizona.
Las Vegas could reach 107, Palm Springs 109, Phoenix 109 and Yuma 107. High temperatures in the West are expected to continue through the course of the weekend.
Many areas are under flood advisories today and officials are warning that even though rain may have stopped in some locations, the floodwaters left behind are still receding. Drivers are advised to use extra caution as water can be deceiving. If you are unsure how deep water may be in a particular location, avoid driving through standing water.
Wet conditions also greatly increase the risk of traffic accidents. It isn’t a bad idea to search out accident lawyers in advance so you have a number to call should a traffic accident occur.
West: San Francisco 64, Los Angeles 81, Reno 92, Las Vegas 109, Salt Lake City 88, Denver 77.
Northwest & Northern Rockies: Seattle 77, Medford 93, Boise 88, Billings 70, Bismarck 70, Rapid City 67.
Southwest: Phoenix 109, Albuquerque 87, El Paso 99, San Antonio 90, Brownsville 96.
Central & Upper Midwest: Lubbock 84, Dallas 86, Oklahoma City 79, Kansas City 71, Minneapolis 77.
Ohio Valley: Chicago 80, St. Louis 79, Detroit 79, Cincinnati 81.
South: Houston 85, New Orleans 90, Memphis 80, Atlanta 81, Charlotte 82, Jacksonville 89, Tampa 91, Miami 86.
East: Norfolk 82, Washington, D.C. 83, Buffalo 77, New York City 72, Boston 81, Caribou 91.
