Central flood threat, T.S. Erin forms

Showers and storms will fire up across the Southeast today along a stationary front. A front will bring cooler temps to the Plains and a flood threat, while the Northeast stays hot. These details, along with our daily tropical outlook, are published every weekday at 5 a.m. ET.

The WeatherRadar shows rain and storms firing along a front across the Plains today. Flash flooding is possible today from Lubbock, Texas to Tulsa, Okla. Soggy conditions are also expected across the Southeast, with flooding possible along the Carolina coastlines and the Florida Panhandle.

A cold front will bring some noticeably cooler temperatures to the northern Plains and northern Rockies, as well as showers and storms from Kansas City to Chicago. The western half of the U.S., as well as the eastern Great Lakes and Northeast, will remain dry today.

The TemperatureRadar shows cooler temperatures in the 80s across the central Plains in wake of a cold front. Cities like Denver and Kansas City will see comfortable highs in the 80s. The heat sticks around in the Desert Southwest, where highs reach the 110s in Phoenix. The Northeast will be warmer-than-average, with highs reaching the 90s in New York and Philadelphia.

Tropical Storm Erin formed this morning, with sustained winds of 45 mph. Erin is moving west at a speed of 20 mph. Erin will likely become the first hurricane of the season as it continues to head into favorable conditions for development. We are also watching two areas of interest in the central and northern Atlantic that have low chances of development.

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