Rarotonga, Cook Islands

Weather Underground Forecast for Thursday, May 24, 2012.

Rain and thunderstorms will continue across parts of the Midwest and Central Plains on Thursday as low pressure forms along a cold front extending through the Central U.S. The heaviest amounts of rain are anticipated near the front in areas of northern Wisconsin, southern Minnesota and Iowa. There is a slight risk of severe storms for the Upper and Mid-Mississippi Valleys Thursday afternoon and night with damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes.

In the West, a strong storm system will drop southward from the Gulf of Alaska on Thursday. This system will lead to an increase in showers and possible thunderstorms across the Pacific Northwest and Northern Intermountain West. The colder airmass accompanying this system will lower snow levels in the mountains and cause temperatures to run about 10 degrees below normal for this time of year. Meanwhile, winds will pick up across the rest of the West, increasing fire danger potential across the Southwest and parts of southeastern Utah and southwestern Colorado.

In the East, light showers and afternoon thunderstorms will remain possible across the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic states. To the south, heavy rain and strong thunderstorms with gusty winds are expected to continue across the southern tip of Florida. Saturated grounds from heavy rainfall that occurred during the last couple of days combined with Thursday\'s rainfall will continue flood concerns near Miami-Dade County.