LDN - Weather

The nation's weather

[December 10, 2010] (AP) The Pacific Northwest was forecast to remain wet, snow was expected to persist over the Great Lakes, and the Southeast would remain cold Friday.

(Click on map for larger image.)

A low pressure system west of British Columbia pushed a trough of low pressure into the Pacific Northwest. This system was expected to have ample moisture associated with it as counterclockwise flow pushed Pacific moisture onshore.

A frontal boundary associated with this system would take a more northern track and sweep through Oregon and Washington, with only the tail end of the front reaching into the extreme northern region of California. Thus, heaviest precipitation was anticipated across the Pacific Northwest.

Rainfall totals would range from 0.50 to 1.0 inches at lower levels, while snowfall in the Cascades was expected to reach near a foot of snow as low as the 3,500-foot level. The Sierras may see a few snow showers down to the 6,500-foot level with very little accumulation. However, strong winds were anticipated across the Sierras, with winds gusting up to 35 mph in the afternoon. Forecasters urged caution when traveling across these high mountain passes.

In the central U.S., a low pressure system continued moving eastward over the Great Lakes, kicking up widespread scattered snowfall as high temperatures remained near freezing. This system has a history of producing 1 to 3 inches of snow and was forecast to obtain additional moisture from the Great Lakes. Thus, snowfall totals would range between 2 to 4 inches of snow in most areas.

Farther east, cloudy skies were expected to increase over the Northeast as the low approached from the Great Lakes. Significant precipitation was not expected Friday. The Southeast would see another cold day due to a dominant high pressure system pushing cold and dry air in from the north. Another freeze warning was in effect for Friday night as overnight low temperatures were forecast to dip below freezing for a few hours again. This was expected to cause a major threat to the crops across the region.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday ranged from a morning low of minus 11 degrees at Mount Washington, N.H., to a high of 79 degrees at Pecos, Texas.

___

Online:

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]