A low pressure system spinning over the Lower Mississippi River Valley was expected to continue pulling ample moisture and warm temperature onshore from the Gulf of Mexico as it slowly moved northeastward throughout the day. This would produce a front that would linger over Georgia and Florida. Scattered showers would decrease across the Southern Plains and increase over the Tennessee Valley stretching into the Mid-Atlantic States.
Strong thunderstorms producing periods of heavy downpours were anticipated over the Mid-Mississippi River Valley as well as the Georgia and Florida border. Rainfall totals between 1 and 2 inches were expected in these areas, while most of the South would remain under widespread scattered showers with up to a half inch of rain.
In the North, a wide ridge of high pressure over the Great Lakes would continue to bring mild weather to the Midwest and Northeast on Tuesday. Highs were expected to remain in the lower 80s with mostly sunny skies and dry conditions.
In the West, a low pressure system was expected to continue on its eastward track over the Central Rockies on Tuesday. This would kick up scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of which may turn severe as it has a history of producing strong winds with gusts up to 60 mph. Not much moisture was associated with the system, so rainfall totals less than a half of an inch were expected, but forecasters said might trigger intense downpours in areas of severe thunderstorm development. Strong winds were expected in the High Plains as the system advected eastward. Seasonal temperatures with mostly sunny skies would return to the West Coast as high pressure replaced this trough of low pressure.
Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Monday ranged from a low of 33 degrees at Saranac Lake, N.Y., to a high of 98 degrees at Phoenix, Ariz.
