Noel was expected to bring rain to the New England coast, with Massachusetts experiencing the heaviest downpours. Maine, too, was expected to experience heavy rain and, late in the day, possibly some snow.

Much of the rest of the country was expected to remain dry and clear. with one major exception being rain in northern Washington.

Dangerous offshore winds were expected in Southern California, with warnings in effect for the same mountains that suffered from the recent dramatic wildfires.

Temperatures in the northern Plains and Great Lakes were expected rise into the 40s and 50s

New England was also expected to see temperatures rise into the 40s and 50s, while the Southeast should get temperatures in the 70s and 80s.

The Southwest was expected to experience temperatures in the 80s and 90s and the Northwest will be cooler, in the 40s to the 60s.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Friday ranged from a low of 7 degrees at Polebridge, Mont., to a high of 93 degrees at Thermal, Calif.