LDN - Weather

The nation's weather

[March 23, 2009] (AP) A dynamic storm system was bringing snow and rain to the central and northern Plains early Monday, while high pressure kept much of the Southeast calm.

Storms developing over the central Rockies will bring dangerous wintry weather and morning thunderstorms to Nebraska and Wyoming as it treks toward South Dakota.

As the system exits the central Rockies, light to moderate rain showers will change into snow showers and will spread from the Great Basin into the northwestern areas of the central Plains throughout the day.

Strong and cold northwesterly winds of 20 to 40 mph with gusts up to 50 mph are expected to accompany shower activity and will lower temperatures across the region.

Heavier bands of snow will blanket western Nebraska and eastern Wyoming. Blowing and drifting snow was likely, creating dangerous traveling conditions.

The heaviest amounts of snow are expected to fall across northeastern Wyoming and northwestern South Dakota, with snow accumulations expected to reach between 8 to 16 and 16 to 24 inches, respectively. Eastern Wyoming and the western portions of Nebraska and South Dakota were under a blizzard warning and winter weather advisory.

Warm, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico will be pulled into the Mississippi Valley and the upper Great Lakes, triggering rain showers and isolated thunderstorms across the regions.

Elsewhere, a fairly weak Pacific weather system will produce areas of rain and high-elevation snowfall across the Pacific Northwest.

Southern Florida will also see showery weather on Monday due to moist, onshore flow. Fairly dry conditions are expected for the Northeast.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Sunday ranged from a low of 17 degrees at Clayton Lake, Maine, to a high of 90 degrees at Laredo, Texas.

___

On the Net:

Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com/

National Weather Service:
http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov/

Intellicast:
http://www.intellicast.com/

[Associated Press article from Weather Underground]