The Nations Weather

NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY:

Across the east, the trailing edge frontal boundary generated scattered thunderstorms along the Gulf Coast and Florida during the late morning and afternoon hours. Most of this activity diminished by late evening. No severe weather was reported and most areas saw less than a quarter of an inch of rain, however, Mobile, AL picked up over an inch of rain. A weak low pressure system brought light showers and areas of fog to the Carolinas and southeastern Georgia during the morning hours. Elsewhere, a disturbance produced a few light showers over upstate New York and northern New England. It was a cool start to the day across the Northeast. Several record lows were reported yesterday morning, including Washington, Dulles with 53 degrees and Pittsburg with 51 degrees. The remainder of the East experienced fair weather.

In the central United States, a nearly stationary front produced clusters of showers and storms from the northern Plains and central Plains southeastward to the Lower Mississippi Valley, with activity also moving into the Upper Midwest. A few severe thunderstorms moved across Kansas, Missouri, and Arkansas during the pre-dawn hours. One severe storm generated wind gusts of 65 mph in Ellis, Kansas. Rainfall with these storms generally ranged from a quarter inch to one inch but locally higher amounts occurred in parts of Arkansas, southern Mississippi, and eastern Louisiana. Springfield, MO picked up 0.79 inches of rain. By late afternoon a low pressure system moving across the Northern Plains began to produce severe weather across the eastern Dakotas and MN. A couple of storms produced tornadoes across western MN near the towns of Swift Falls and Spicer. Overnight, these storms tracked into the western Great Lakes with more severe storms developing south across IA, MO, KS, and eastern CO. Two inch hail knocked out windows near Saylorville Lake in central IA. To the south, the triple digit heat remained across Texas, Oklahoma, and parts of Kansas.

Across the West, a low pressure system brought rain and breezy conditions to Montana. There were also scattered showers and thunderstorms in Colorado, New Mexico, and southeastern Arizona. No severe weather was reported. Onshore flow led to areas of low clouds and fog along the West Coast during the morning hours. A few record lows were reported across Wyoming and Utah yesterday morning, otherwise, tranquil weather prevailed over the Intermountain West.

WEATHER EXTREMES FOR YESTERDAY:

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)............120 Death Valley, CA

HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F).............120 Death Valley, CA

LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)..............29 Chemult, OR

LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F)...............29 Chemult, OR

HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH).....................65 Iuka, KS

.............................................. Wilmont, MN

HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES)............2.04 North Little Rock, AR

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:

In 1916, a coastal storm produced torrential rains across the southern Appalachian Mountains. Altapass, NC received more than 22 inches of rain, a 24 hour record for the state.

In 1954, a new state record was set in Balcony Falls, VA when the mercury soared to 110 degrees.

In 1988, a severe thunderstorm moving east of Omaha, NE spawned three tornadoes, injuring 88 people. Meanwhile, Chicago, IL reported a record fifth day of 100 degree heat for the year. DTN/Meteorlogix: J Stephen

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