Storm bearing cold front pushes east while tropical threat increases

A front will bring showers and storms from the Plains to the Great Lakes, and summer-like heat will stick around for the Southwest.

A cold front stretching from Texas to the Great Lakes is advancing eastward today, bringing showers and thunderstorms from Northeast Texas through the interior Northeast. The heaviest rainfall is expected over the Ohio Valley and Midwest, with localized flash flooding being the primary concern. The greatest risk for thunderstorms will be concentrated in the Lower Midwest and the eastern Ohio Valley.

As this front moves through, it will replace the unseasonably warm air mass currently in place with cooler, more typical autumn temperatures across the Plains and Midwest. By Tuesday morning, temperatures are forecast to drop into the 40s across the Upper Midwest, with 50s and 60s expected in the Central Plains.

The TemperatureRadar still shows warmer-than-average temperatures for the West, with some low-lying desert areas reaching the 100s today. The Northeast will see highs in the 60s and some spots into the 70s, while the 80s and 90s are in play across much of the Southeast.

This week, our focus shifts to the tropics as models continue to depict a tropical system developing in the eastern Gulf of Mexico or the western Caribbean. A tropical depression or storm is likely within the next 48 hours, and the next name on the list is Helene. This system will likely have a northward motion, putting Gulf Coast states at risk. We will continue to monitor this closely.

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