Overview
- Heat alerts are in effect across the Southwest as of Thursday, with Extreme Heat Warnings for deserts and mountain zones forecasting daytime highs near 110–115°F and heat‑index values around 100–110° that will limit overnight cooling.
- Monsoonal flow and lingering tropical moisture are keeping dew points elevated in the region, which raises humidity, prevents relief at night, and preserves a small but persistent chance for localized mountain and valley storms.
- Slow‑moving afternoon and evening storms are prompting Flood Watches in parts of the Mountain West, where heavy rain over higher terrain and burn scars such as the Beartooth and Absaroka areas could trigger flash flooding and debris flows.
- Tropical Storm Bertha made landfall in St. Bernard Parish, Louisiana on Tuesday and is moving west toward Texas while gradually weakening, a development that is boosting Gulf Coast rainfall and short‑term forecast uncertainty.
- A cold front cleared the Northeast and Mid‑Atlantic this week, giving the region a brief stretch of cooler, drier weather even as the National Weather Service conducts damage surveys after recent Mid‑Atlantic storms and local officials warn vulnerable people to plan for renewed heat and humidity later next week.