The Nations Weather

Across the Northeast, breezy and cool conditions were experienced with clouds and rain across upstate New York and northern New England. Rain was finally moving out by the end of the day as low pressure continued to exit to the north of Maine. High pressure brought mainly sunny skies and pleasant weather from the Mid Atlantic to the Gulf Coast.

It was very warm across the Southeast with most areas from Louisiana to Georgia seeing afternoon highs in the middle to upper 80s. Severe thunderstorms bubbled up over northern Georgia during the late afternoon hours and dropped over an inch of rain in the Atlanta metro area in less than an hour. These storms produced a lot of hail including hail up to golf ball size at the home of the Braves, Turner Field.

Over the midsection of the country a large ridge of high pressure brought very warm temperatures from Texas to Minnesota. Several record highs were reached across South Dakota and western Iowa, some including: Sioux City (92); Sioux Falls (91); Huron (91); Aberdeen (90); Pierre (88). A couple of records were also broken across the South, one at Little Rock, Arkansas (90) and another one at Wichita Falls, Texas (94). Cold still lingered across the northern Great Lakes where Marquette, Mich., broke a record low of 17.

In the West, a strong cold front dropped across the northern Rockies and brought snow and unseasonably cold weather to much of Montana and northern Idaho. Near blizzard conditions were experienced over portions of northwest Montana, including Cut Bank which had a high of only 27, nearly 30 degrees below normal. Winter storm warning were posted for much of southern Montana and northern Wyoming where 10 inches or more of snow was expected across the mountains and High Plains through today. Dry and warm conditions were felt from California through the four corners region.

WEATHER EXTREMES FOR YESTERDAY:

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F).............105 Death Valley, Calif.

HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F)...............97 Laredo, Texas

LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)...............15 Stonington, Mich.

LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F)............... -2 Cut Bank, Mont.

HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH)......................52 Guadalupe Pass, Texas

HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES).............1.39 Atlanta, Ga.

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:

In 1908, severe thunderstorms across the Central Gulf Coast states produced 18 tornadoes which killed 310 people. A violent tornado near Hattiesburg, Miss. took nearly half of the lives. The deadliest tornado was said to have a width of 2.5 miles as it leveled Purvis, Miss.

In 1960, a late season winter storm across the northern Rockies produced 19.4 inches of snow for Helena, Mont. Some of the higher elevations of western Montana and northern Wyoming received up to 30 inches of snow.

In 1989, a heat wave across the Central Plains brought record high temperatures to twenty cities including Russell, Kan. at 101. Severe thunderstorms erupted later this day from Colorado to Wisconsin with one storm near Sargeant, Neb. producing 4 and a half inch diameter hail.

Filed by DTN-Meteorlogix

Copyright 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.