National Weather Service United States Department of Commerce

Heat Wave Expands to the East Coast; Flash Flooding Likely in the Central Plains into the Midwest; Severe Thunderstorms in the Northeast

Dangerous, prolonged heat is ongoing in the Mid-South to Mid-Mississippi Valley and heat expands into the Northeast for a brief period today. Widely scattered instances of flash flooding due to heavy rains are forecast from northeast Kansas to much of Indiana. Scattered strong to severe thunderstorms are possible across parts of New England, northern Mid-Atlantic, and North Dakota. Read More >

Does the sky look different to you? Did you see how strange the sun looked prior to sunset last evening? Well, a plume of smoke has circulated into the region. This smoke is originating from Canadian forest fires. It's all aloft and poses no danger here at the surface. However, it will make the sky look different. The sun will also look different (orange or pink) more than just a few minutes before sunset and after sunrise, as long as the smoke is around.

You can monitor the progress of the plume with a loop of visible satellite images here (only available during the daylight hours).