After days of heavy flooding in Florida, that state and many others are preparing for an intense heat wave, while the Pacific Northwest will experience unseasonably cold weather early next week and the chance of late-season snow in the Rocky Mountains.
The chaotic weather map includes the chance of severe thunderstorms between hot and cold fronts. Forecasters said the clashing fronts could lead to flash flooding between eastern Nebraska and northern Wisconsin Saturday night, as well as strong storms in parts of eastern Montana into North and South Dakota.
Meanwhile, a plume of tropical moisture will reach the central Gulf Coast in the coming days, with heavy rain expected Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters say the threat of heavy rain in Florida continues to diminish, but some thunderstorms that manage to develop could lead to local flooding problems given the already saturated ground. Areas between Miami and Fort Lauderdale have remained flooded in recent days as persistent storms dumped up to 20 inches of water into southern parts of the state.
The harmful one storm system without a name coincided with the start of hurricane season in early June, which is expected to be this year one of the most active in recent history, amid concerns that climate change is increasing storm intensity.
As flood waters recede in Florida, temperatures will rise across much of the southern US on Saturday
In Atlanta, where temperatures near 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 degrees Celsius) were forecast on Saturday and Sunday, city officials opened a cooling center to provide relief from the heat. The city announced that a “Family and Friends Field Day” had been postponed due to predicted high temperatures.
And in the west Texas city of El Paso, highs were expected to approach 105 degrees F (40.6 degrees C) on Saturday and the National Weather Service issued a heat advisory for the region through Monday morning. The city has opened five cooling centers that will operate daily until further notice.
Last year the US did most heat waves — abnormally warm weather lasting more than two days — since 1936. The South and Southwest saw the worst on record last year, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
Next week’s heat wave will intensify in the center of the country on Sunday before spreading east, the National Weather Service said, with some areas likely to experience extreme heat and reach daily records. The heat wave could last all week and into the weekend in many places.
While most of the country is experiencing the first bout of warm weather of the season, parts of Montana have been placed under winter storm watches with a chance of sleet falling Monday evening.