Tracking A Rarity As Hilary Heads Toward California – National Weather Outlook For August 18, 2023

by | Aug 18, 2023 | Weather

National Weather Forecast

We’ll be watching storm activity ahead of a cold front on Friday in the northwestern United States, with storms extending south into the Southwest as moisture streams northward into the region. Storms will also be possible with a system in the Northeast, and south of a stationary front in the Southeast. Hot weather is expected in the Plains and the South Central United States.

The heaviest rain through Saturday will be in the eastern United States, where some areas could see 2-4” of rain. We will also be watching the potential of heavy rain in the Southwest due to moisture flowing northward from Hurricane Hilary.

Here’s the track of Hurricane Hilary over the next few days. This system will reach major hurricane status Thursday Night, but as it starts to interact with Baja California and reach cooler waters we will see the storm start to weaken. This system could make landfall in California later Sunday into early Monday, but the main threat in the Southwest from it will be the heavy rainfall.

Forecast models show the potential of at least 3-6” of rain across portions of the Southwest – especially in parts of California and Nevada – over the next week as Hilary moves into the region.

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– D.J. Kayser