More than 100 million Americans across 18 states are under heat alerts from coast-to-coast.
The I-95 corridor between New York City and Washington, D.C., is scorching this weekend, with an Extreme Heat Risk for New York on Saturday and for the entire corridor on Sunday.
In New York City, the heat index could reach 103 degrees this weekend. A daily record high (tie) of 96 is possible Sunday.
The heat index could reach 102 in Philadelphia on Saturday, and on Sunday up to 110. A daily record high of 98 is possible Sunday.
In Washington, D.C., the heat index is expected to reach between 105 and 110 on Saturday, up to 104 on Sunday. Both Baltimore and D.C. will rival daily record highs both days this weekend with highs near 100 both days.Much of this area is also under Air Quality Alerts because the stagnant air has led to low-level ozone concentrations which may be dangerous for sensitive groups.
The good news for this corridor, regarding heat, is “cooler” weather is forecast starting Monday after a couple rounds of showers and storms move through along a cold front which will sweep the region into Monday morning.
In the West, there will be daily record highs possible Saturday for Reno near 100, and for Salt Lake City on Sunday with the forecast around 100 there with an Excessive Heat Warning in effect there as well.
Heat alerts are blanketing much of California this weekend and continuing into next week for some.
In Palm Springs, temperatures may reach 114 degree today through Thursday – prompting an Excessive Heat Warning.
Saturday, temperatures in Redding and Sacramento may reach up to 107. Fresno may reach up to 108 both Saturday and Sunday. Heat Advisories for all those locations through the California Valley.
Severe weather and flooding
A swath of flood warnings are in effect Saturday morning from South Dakota through southern Minnesota and northern Iowa where 4-7 inches of rain have fallen in the last 24 hours. Numerous areas have no travel advised.
Incredibly, an area of northwest Iowa and southeast South Dakota, around the Sioux Falls region, has seen 8-16 inches of rainfall.
Severe thunderstorms are possible this afternoon and evening across parts of the Midwest and Great Lakes region from Missouri to Michigan, including Chicago and Milwaukee.
Flash flooding is a risk for this area on Saturday. One or two clusters of storms may evolve and pose a risk for damaging wind gusts, but a couple of supercells posing a risk for tornadoes are possible as well.
On Sunday, damaging wind and a few tornadoes are possible in the Northeast. This includes an area from Pittsburgh to Portland and also includes Boston, Burlington, and Albany. Flash flooding is also possible.
Tropical update
There is a tropical rainstorm hitting the Florida and Georgia coasts this morning, but it will not organize into a tropical cyclone. No watches or alerts of any kind are for this area, as rain isn’t expected to cause widespread issue.
Off the Yucatan Peninsula in Mexico there is a 50% chance for development of a tropical cyclone. The next name is Beryl.
The system may once again move into a similar location as Alberto in Mexico, however, this time the ramifications for Texas are not expected to be quite as large. Brownsville, Texas, may get the worst of the rain this weekend.
