Seasons & weather
Weather and seasons across the United States
A United States weather forecast needs a location and a time zone. Conditions can differ sharply between the Atlantic coast, the Great Plains, the desert Southwest, the Pacific states, Alaska and Hawaii. A national map helps locate broad systems; the local forecast gives a more useful starting point for your day.
Coasts, mountains and continental weather
Pacific weather systems, mountain barriers and distance from the ocean shape very different local climates. A coastal forecast cannot represent a nearby mountain pass, and a city temperature may differ from an exposed rural area. Alaska and Hawaii need their own regional context rather than an assumption about the continental states.
Thunderstorms, tornadoes and tropical systems
Thunderstorms may bring lightning, hail, damaging winds or sudden heavy rain. CAPE maps show one ingredient for storm development, not a tornado track or observed lightning. The National Weather Service distinguishes watches, which highlight conditions favourable for a hazard, from warnings requiring attention to an identified or expected hazard. Read the particular message and affected area.
For Atlantic or eastern Pacific tropical cyclones, consult the National Hurricane Center and the relevant local NWS office. Inland flooding can matter well away from the coast. A forecast track alone does not show the full area affected by wind, rain or coastal water.
Heat, winter weather and fire conditions
Compare air temperature with humidity, overnight cooling and official heat guidance. In winter, freezing rain, snow and strong winds can disrupt travel in different ways. Fire-weather products describe conditions that can support dangerous fire behaviour; they are not a map of active fires or an evacuation order.
Before you travel
Check the forecast for your destination and route, including elevation and the displayed time zone. Official alerts, road authorities and local emergency information provide details that a general weather map cannot. An unavailable alert feed should never be read as an all-clear.