The central part of the country is bracing for a sharp drop in temperatures following heavy rains and storms
The National Weather Service forecasts 2 to 4 inches of rain across large parts of the Great Plains over the next 48 hours, with a risk of flash flooding. Snowfall is also expected in the central Rocky Mountains, while a cold air mass moving in from Canada will cause temperatures to drop by as much as 25 degrees in some areas.
A highway is closed following heavy rains and flooding in Ocean City, New Jersey
The midwest is bracing for a sudden change in weather conditions during the second half of this week, following several days of heavy rain, thunderstorms, and unusually high temperatures in various regions of the country.
According to the short-range forecast published on Wednesday by the National Weather Service (NWS) Weather Prediction Center, a low-pressure system will keep conditions unstable in the Great Plains and the lower Ohio River Valley, before a powerful high-pressure system moves eastward on Thursday.
The main risks will be concentrated in the southern Great Plains, where heavy rain and severe thunderstorms are expected on Wednesday and Thursday.
The agency forecasts rainfall totals of 2 to 4 inches —approximately 5 to 10 centimeters— across a broad swath stretching from south-central Kansas to the Big Bend region of Texas over the next 48 hours.
The persistence of storms over these same areas could lead to numerous instances of flash flooding, due to the accumulation of rainfall over short periods of time.
Snowfall in the Rocky Mountains and record temperatures
On the cold side of the weather system, snowfall will continue in the central Rocky Mountains. The forecast calls for accumulations of up to one foot of snow—about 30 centimeters—on the peaks of the Rocky Mountains in northern Colorado.
At the same time, unusually high temperatures for this time of year—with the potential to set records—will persist through Thursday in parts of the southern Great Plains, the Southeast, and the Mid-Atlantic region.
However, a strong high-pressure system moving in from northern Canada will bring a significant change in weather patterns across much of the central United States over the next few days.
According to the NWS, temperatures behind the cold front could drop by 20 to 25 degrees. The agency also warns that many locations could see their first frost of the season, with overnight lows near freezing on Friday night.
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