Stormy eastern half, Erin strengthens

A stagnant pattern is in place with hot temperatures dominating the western half of the country and storms dotting the eastern half. These details, along with our daily tropical outlook, are published every weekday at 5 a.m. ET.

The WeatherRadar shows showers and storms dotting much of the eastern half of the country once again today. Two slow-moving fronts will continue to bring scattered showers and storms from Texas to New England.

While the severe threat is low, a few intense storms are possible this evening in South Dakota, with gusty winds and hail likely in Pierre and Rapid City. Scattered storms are forecast for cities like Houston, Nashville, Tenn., Atlanta, Washington, D.C., and New York City.

While the West Coast remains dry mainly, the heat persists, with well-above-average temperatures extending from the Pacific Northwest into the Southwest.

The TemperatureRadar shows heat building across the western half, with highs reaching the upper-90s in Boise, Idaho, and Salt Lake City. Phoenix remains hot, with highs reaching the 110s, and much of Texas will surge into the 90s. Another hot day is expected in the Northeast and New England. Boston, New York City, and Washington, D.C., are expected to see highs in the 90s today.

Tropical Storm Erin formed Monday morning, with sustained winds of 45 mph. Erin is moving west at a speed of 22 mph. Erin is expected to become the first hurricane of the season by Wednesday as it continues to head into favorable conditions for development.

We are also watching two areas of interest in the northern Gulf and the northern Atlantic that have low chances of development. The area in the northern Gulf is unlikely to develop, but it will bring locally heavy rain to the Florida Panhandle over the next couple of days.

Atlantic Hurricane Season starts to ramp up in August and September. Learn more about how our hurricane alerts work here.