Wildfire threat heating up out west (forecast video)

Fires burning in several states: There’s an elevated risk for wildfires in the Great Basin and the Cascades, in addition to portions of the Rockies and the Desert Southwest where the weather will be breezy and extremely arid. Dry thunderstorms could add to the threat in the Cascades of Oregon and across New Mexico. Smoke may reduce visibility in the Las Vegas, Phoenix and Reno metro areas, as well as from Bend to Pendleton, Oregon and across southwestern Colorado. The National Weather Service (NWS) has issued Red Flag Warnings across the region. Smoke may reduce visibility in some areas.

Another stormy day for some drivers: Look for scattered showers and thunderstorms across all regions of the U.S. today and tonight, except for the West. The best odds of running into severe storms dropping heavy rain and large hail are from eastern Oregon to the upper Mississippi Valley, including Pendleton, Coeur d’Alene, Missoula, Billings, Butte, Great Falls, Sheridan, northwestern Nebraska, Rapid City, Des Moines and Minneapolis. Delays are likely on I-80 and I-90, and some storms could whip up rough winds. A few severe storms could also pop up as far south as the Texas Panhandle, and as far east as Chicago, Cleveland and upstate New York.

Shaky ground: An earthquake struck in Central America overnight. It was a shallow tremor, measuring 6.2 on the Righter scale and centered near the Costa Rica-Panama border. As of this morning, there are no reports of injuries or significant damage, but potential aftershocks could cause problems. There’s at least one oil refinery within 100 miles of the epicenter, and the Panama Canal is only 200 miles away.