Breakfast Brief: Quiet Thursday across U.S.

All kinds of weather are happening across the U.S., from extreme heat to a taste of fall to end the week.

The WeatherRadar stays clear along the central portion of the U.S. A trough brushes the Texas Coast through the Florida Panhandle, increasing the chance for showers and isolated storms. A cold front will exit the Eastern Seaboard, bringing rains and storms from the Mid-Atlantic states through the Northeast.

Strong winds will reign over the Northern Plains, increasing the fire risk. Wind gusts could range between 40 and 60 mph. A bit further southwest, the extreme heat continues across the desert, southern California and the San Joaquin Valley.

The TemperatureRadar shows cooler temperatures moving to the Midwest and Great Lakes areas. Chicago won't be freezing, but there will be a shot of cool air tonight just for one night, and then low temperatures will rise for the weekend nights.

The tropics stay active, with Kirk being a strong major hurricane and Joyce gaining strength. The good news is that these two systems will remain far away from land and over water.

Closer to home, there is still a low chance for tropical development over the Gulf of Mexico over the next 7 days. The silver lining is that wind shear will be moderate to strong, which could hinder its chances of developing in the short term. Regardless of development, this system will bring tons of tropical moisture across the Peninsula of Florida which will rapidly heighten the flood risk. The ground is already well saturated and many are still recovery from Helene.

Hurricane season in the Atlantic doesn't end until Nov. 30. Are your hurricane alerts on? Check here.