After days of extreme flooding in Florida, that state and many others are bracing for extreme heat waves, while the Pacific Northwest will experience unseasonably cold weather and the possibility of late snowfall in the Rockies early next week .
The confusing weather map includes the potential for severe thunderstorms between hot and cold fronts. Forecasters said the colliding fronts could cause flash flooding Saturday night between eastern Nebraska and northern Wisconsin, as well as strong storms across parts of eastern Montana and into North and South Dakota.
Meanwhile, a plume of tropical moisture will reach the central Gulf Coast over the next few days, bringing heavy rain starting Monday morning, according to the National Weather Service.
Forecasters said the threat of heavy rains in Florida continues to evaporate, but some thunderstorms could cause local flooding given already saturated soils. Some areas between Miami and Fort Lauderdale have been flooded in recent days as persistent storms dumped up to 50 centimeters of water on the southern part of the state.
The damaging unnamed storm system coincided with the early June start of hurricane season. This year is expected to be one of the most active seasons in recent memory amid concerns that climate change is increasing storm intensity.
Temperatures rose across much of the southern United States on Saturday as flooding receded in Florida.
In Atlanta, where temperatures were expected to approach 100 degrees Fahrenheit (38 Celsius) on Saturday and Sunday, city officials opened cooling centers to provide relief from the heat. The city announced that Family and Friends Sports Day has been postponed due to the high temperatures forecast.
And in the West Texas city of El Paso, high temperatures Saturday were expected to reach 105 degrees Fahrenheit (40.6 Celsius), and the National Weather Service has issued a heat advisory for the region until Monday morning. The city has opened five cooling centers that are open daily until further notice.
Temperatures in the mid-Atlantic and New England regions are expected to reach the mid to high 90s next week, National Weather Service meteorologists said. William Churchill.
“This is something that’s particularly notable,” he said, noting that higher humidity will make it feel hotter in many places.
Last year, the United States experienced its worst heat wave (unusually hot weather lasting more than two days) since 1936. Last year was the worst year on record for the South and Southwest, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The National Weather Service said next week’s heat wave will become more extreme in the central region on Sunday and spread eastward, with extreme heat likely to reach daily records in some areas, the National Weather Service said. In many areas, the heat wave could last all week and into the weekend.
While most of the state is experiencing warm weather for the first time this season, parts of Montana are under a winter storm watch Monday night with the possibility of wet snow.
Churchill said northwest cold fronts are linked to heat waves because one extreme often accompanies the other.
