NORTH CAROLINA AND VIRGINIA

Severe Weather Discussion

Scattered gusty thunderstorms are expected today across southern Virginia, North Carolina, and the Great Smoky Mountains region. The strongest storms will be capable of producing gusty winds, torrential downpours, frequent lightning, and small hail. While an isolated storm could briefly reach severe limits, a widespread severe weather outbreak is not anticipated.

Heavy rainfall may lead to localized flooding in poor-drainage areas and in mountainous terrain where storms repeatedly move over the same locations.

Across the western United States, the North American monsoon will remain active, bringing another round of afternoon and evening thunderstorms from the Desert Southwest into the Great Basin and the Rockies. These storms may produce strong outflow winds, heavy downpours, frequent lightning, and localized flash flooding, particularly in canyons, burn scar areas, and normally dry washes.

Frequent lightning associated with these storms may also ignite new wildfires where vegetation remains exceptionally dry. At the same time, localized rainfall may help temporarily reduce fire danger in some locations, highlighting the mixed impacts of the summer monsoon across the West.

Overall, today's weather will feature scattered strong thunderstorms across the southern Mid-Atlantic and southern Appalachians, along with another active day of monsoon thunderstorms across the western United States.