Se
vere weather was forecast to continue in the East as a low pressure system hovered over the East Coast. The system was expected to pull moisture onshore from the Atlantic Ocean and kick up widespread scattered showers and thunderstorms.
The system has split into two major areas of storm development. One was forecast to move through the North, with severe weather tracking though the Ohio River Valley. The other area of storms was expected to be in the South and move through the Gulf states.
The system has a history of producing large hail, damaging winds, heavy downpours and tornadoes, so strong storms were expected Saturday.
A series of low pressure systems was expected to continue bombarding the Western U.S. with precipitation. Another trough of low pressure was forecast to move over the Pacific Northwest and allow for more scattered showers with snow at higher elevations. The system could spread over the Northern Rockies and trigger light snow over the region.
In the Northern Plains, a trough was expected to strengthen into a low pressure system as it moved off the Rockies. This could allow for some scattered showers and thunderstorms to track through the Dakotas as they develop along a strong warm front.
Windy conditions were expected ahead of the system in the Central Plains and Midwest due to a strong difference from low pressure in the west to higher pressure over the Mississippi River Valley. Strong winds with gusts up to 30 mph were expected over the Central U.S.
On Friday, temperatures in the Lower 48 states ranged from a low of 20 degrees at Pinedale, Wyo., to a high of 104 degrees at Pecos, Texas.
