US Weather Forecast: Frontal System to Cause Heavy Rain, Thunderstorms in the East Coast Before Weekend

US weather may continue to experience a mixture of weather hazards again in the coming days as the National Weather Service on Thursday, August 17, issued its latest forecast nationwide, including the Eastern Seaboard. Based on the latest US weather forecast, a frontal system over the Great Lakes will continue to bring precipitation chances for heavy rain and thunderstorms on the East Coast before the upcoming weekend.

In other parts of the East Coast, a lingering storm will also bring showers and storms in the Southeast, according to the NWS forecast. One of the most at-risk states from the said weather hazards will be Florida since moisture off the Gulf Coast and the North Atlantic Ocean could serve as fuel for torrential rain and stormy weather.

The U.S. weather agency also issued other predictions in other parts of the country, including on the West Coast, where intense heat is expected to shift from the Pacific Northwest and the risk of flash flooding threatens the Southwest. This comes as a massive, renewed heatwave persisted in the country over the past several months.

Frontal System

On Thursday, the Weather Prediction Center of the NWS forecasted that the frontal system may bring scattered rainfall and thunderstorms for some states along the East Coast by Friday, August 18. During this period, isolated flash flooding due to the heavy downpours with strong winds will be possible.

In addition, the said frontal boundary will bring cooler temperatures from the Midwest to the Northeast. The region of New England will also be affected by the looming weather system. Earlier this month, the weather service and its Storm Prediction Center also forecasted the occurrence of severe weather across the East Coast.

Based on previous related weather events, disruption on road traffic movement and U.S. flights are possible in the coming hours and days. Power outages may also occur due to damaged or destroyed power lines caused by gusty winds and heavy rain.

Fire Weather Threat

As mentioned earlier, the NWS is also monitoring other weather events in the U.S., including the critical risk of fire weather in the Northwest amid record-breaking, hot temperatures. The scorching heat in the region is caused by an upper-level ridge that is moving from the Pacific Northwest, in an eastward pattern, towards the Central U.S., driving an expansive regional heatwave.

Some of the most significant elements of fire weather are atmospheric humidity, temperature, and wind, which determines the risk of fire growth and spread, according to Australia's Charles Darwin University. Meanwhile, the NWS adds that soil moisture and wind direction to be other variables that can influence wildfires.

Over the past week alone, wildfires have raged both in the Continental U.S., as well as in Hawaii, where the Maui wildfires have resulted in more than 100 deaths with others missing. In Colorado, hundreds of thousands of homes are at risk from raging wildfires, according to reports.