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Weather Underground Forecast for Wednesday, August 20, 2008.

Tropical Storm Fay is is expected to begin trekking over the Gulf Stream east of Florida. Given that Fay has kept well-defined signature on radar and on satellite, the cyclone may intensify into a hurricane as it moves over water. The storm is expected to change direction by late Wednesday evening due to a developing ridge. The ridge will cause the storm to move northwest toward northern Florida or the Georgia coast. The system will continue being closely monitored as it progresses.

Meanwhile, storms in the Southern Plains will continue to move eastward into the Lower Mississippi Valley. Low pressure will bring heavy showers and thunderstorms into these regions. Heavy rainfall will put these areas at risk of potential flooding.

To the North, fair conditions are expected for the Midwest as high pressure remains over the area. This high pressure system will push into the Northeast region on Wednesday and bring drier and warmer conditions to the New England states.

In the Pacific Northwest, a strong low pressure system moving southeast of the Gulf of Alaska will bring showers and thunderstorms to Washington and Oregon. The system will also push moisture and a cold front into the Northern Plains, leading to the continuation of showers and thunderstorms in this region. Northern Idaho, Montana, and western North Dakota will be at risk of severe fire weather as weather conditions are expected to be conducive for wildfire outbreaks.

The Southwest is expected to remain dry and hot on Wednesday.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Tuesday ranged from a low of 33 degrees at Bryce Canyon, Utah to a high of 111 degrees at Indio, Calif.