Stormy southeast, tranquil West Coast

Scattered showers and storms will impact the southern Plains and the Southeast today, with a few strong storms possible. The West Coast remains tranquil. The Breakfast Brief is published Monday through Friday at 5:00 a.m. Eastern Time.

Scattered showers and thunderstorms are forecast today across the southern Plains and into the Southeast. Lingering rain will also impact the Northeast. While the eastern half of the country remains socked in with rain, the western half will be mostly tranquil.

The WeatherRadar shows storms firing up in Texas and across the Mid-South and Southeast. Strong storms are possible in cities like Laredo and Brownsville, Texas, Knoxville, Tenn., and Charlotte, N.C.

While heavy rain has significantly improved drought conditions east of the Mississippi River, flash flooding remains a concern in cities like New Orleans and Scranton, Penn., today.

Above-average warmth continues across much of the West Coast and the northern Plains, with cities like Bismarck, N.D., seeing temperatures up to 20 degrees warmer than average. The East Coast also sees warmer-than-average temperatures, with cooler-than-average air stretching from Texas to the Great Lakes.

When severe weather is in your forecast, you can be prepared. Follow along with these tools to stay weather-aware.