Drought-easing showers and thunderstorms will remain active into the weekend on the southern Plains, as moisture pooled near the tail end of a cold front interacts with a new storm system arriving in the Northwest.  Five-day rainfall totals could reach 1 to 2 inches or more across the Plains and Northwest, while dry weather will persist from central and southern California to western sections of Colorado and New Mexico.  Meanwhile, late-week showers and thunderstorms will traverse the northern and middle Atlantic States. 

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