Daily Briefing: Big Plains storms

Big summer-like thunderstorms will erupt across the Plains today, bringing the kitchen sink of trouble. The East and South can't catch a break with more rain and thunderstorms likely. The Weather & Radar daily briefing is published every weekday at 5 a.m. ET with the latest U.S. forecast and updated tropical information.

A cold front diving across the Plains will clash with abundant moisture streaming northward from the Gulf of Mexico to produce dangerous storms this afternoon and evening. The WeatherRadar shows the storms stretching from the high Plains eastward to the central Mississippi Valley. Des Moines, Iowa, Kansas City, and Wichita, Kansas, could all see these storms Tuesday afternoon.

A separate, nearly stationary system will produce pockets of downpours and thunderstorms from the central Gulf Coast northeastward into the Northeast. For some of these areas, this will be the third or fourth day of rain, so localized flooding will be possible. Make sure alerts are activated to get the latest on today's storm threats.

Except for a few afternoon clouds in the Northwest and a few scattered storms in the northern Rockies, the West Coast and Mountain West will sunny and hot. Afternoon highs, as seen on the TemperatureRadar will be in the triple digits throughout the Southwest while 80s and 90s will be common throughout the rest of the West. A few coastal spots will only be in the 70s.

The Atlantic remains quiet with no activity expected. Meanwhile in the eastern Pacific, Tropical Storm Erick has developed. It will likely develop into a hurricane as it move northward towards Mexico's Pacific Coast. Heavy rain, storm surge and damaging winds are possible Thursday as the system moves ashore.