Forecast

This Weekend: Heavy Rain for Texas and the South

The first half of the weekend was a soaker for some and a glorious day for others.

Let's look at the Sunday forecast beginning with some southern and eastern trouble spots and end with where conditions are looking much brighter.

Gulf Coast Soaker

A slow-moving frontal boundary and a low-pressure system will keep the rain chances going over the South.

As promised, Texas got a soaking Saturday, with widespread 1-to-3-inch rainfall totals and localized amounts in the 4-to-5-inch range thanks to that area of low pressure and moisture from former Tropical Storm Norman in the Pacific.

That low pressure center is shifting eastward, placing the rainfall bullseye over the Lower Mississippi Valley on Sunday.

Another 1 to 4 inches of rain are possible for parts of Louisiana and Mississippi, and flood watches have been issued for parts of the area.

(MAPS: Flood alerts | 48-hour rain forecast)

Cool, Damp for Northeast Leaf Peepers?

Though the front bringing rain to the South will be off the Northeast coast this weekend, a deep area of low-pressure aloft will linger over the region. The result will be scattered showers and cool temperatures.

(HIGHS: Sunday)

There will be pockets of showers here and there, mainly over New England and the eastern Great Lakes. Most areas will not see an all-day soaking rain, but Maine may be an unfortunate exception – some of the best fall colors on the map this weekend are also the most likely to see hour after hour of light to moderate rain.

(FORECAST: Sunday)

Outside of Maine, however, there should be some breaks in the rain. Bring a jacket, though, because it will be cool and cloudy.

(MORE: Fall foliage maps)

Mild, Dry Upper Midwest and West

In contrast to the South, eastern Great Lakes and Northeast, it will be mild and mainly dry from the West to the Upper Midwest. This will be a plus for fall foliage viewers in these regions. Unfortunately, this also means no rain relief for the wildfires in the interior Northwest.

(MORE: Fall foliage maps)

Instead of highs in the low 60s like last weekend in Minneapolis, Minn., it will be in the middle to upper 70s. Temperatures will be in the 80s in parts of the Dakotas. Hello, Indian Summer!

Above-average warmth will dominate many of the western states from Southern California and the Desert Southwest to the interior Northwest.

Temperatures are forecast to reach into the 90s in Los Angeles, Calif. on Sunday. More triple-digit heat is expected in Phoenix, Ariz.

Highs in the 70s and 80s are expected in the lower elevations of the interior Northwest.