Early chill, snow forecast for Rockies

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STATE COLLEGE, Pa., Aug. 7 (UPI) -- Chilly air and early snow are expected in the Rockies for fall 2012 but temperatures will be mild for parts of the Midwest and Northeast, U.S. forecasters say.

Meanwhile the Southeast and Gulf Coast will see rain, and some drought relief is in store for the Plains, AccuWeather.com reported Monday.

While cold air may be delayed in arriving in the East, cold weather will not have a problem reaching the Rockies, making it the first area at risk for early frosts and freezes, AccuWeather forecaster Paul Pastelok said.

"I think there will be some early cold outbreaks out over the central and northern Rockies, especially. I think that where the season -- winter season -- actually is going to start much quicker," he said.

Before typical monsoon moisture tapers off across the Southwest and as storms begin to impact the Northwest in the fall, some moisture will stream into portions of the central and southern Plains, forecasters said, bringing relief to areas suffering severe to exceptional drought conditions.