Thursday's forecast: Heavy rain, floods for central U.S.

Doyle Rice | USA TODAY

Show Caption Hide Caption Thursday's forecast: Storm moves into the Plains The national weather forecast for Thursday, October 22, 2015 calls for rain and showers from Texas to North Dakota, showers from the Ohio Valley to the Northeast, and cooler temperatures in the Great Lakes.

The central U.S. will see a cloudy, soggy Thursday while most of the East and West are dry.

Central U.S.: Drenching rain and thunderstorms will soak much of the Plains on Thursday, with the heaviest rain likely from Texas to Kansas. Some spots could see up to half a foot of rain, potentially leading to dangerous flash flooding.

East: Clear skies and mild temperatures will rule the eastern U.S. on Thursday, though a few afternoon showers are likely in interior portions of the Northeast as a cold front slides through the region. Some showers will also dot southern Florida.

West: Other than some rain and snow showers in the central Rockies, the western third of the nation will be clear on Thursday.

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Weather history for Oct. 22: In 1898, Fort Worth, Texas, fell to 31 degrees, the city's earliest freeze on record. In 1996, Kansas City picked up 6.5 inches of snow, the city's biggest October snowstorm on record.