The Nations Weather

Across the eastern half of the country, a slow-moving low pressure system moved out of the mid-Mississippi Valley and into the Ohio Valley. Thunderstorms developed across Arkansas and Mississippi by early afternoon and moved rapidly eastward across the Tennessee Valley and the South. Severe lines of thunderstorms dropped hail across northern Mississippi and Alabama. Reports of golfball size hail were noted in Nettleton, Miss. yesterday afternoon. By evening, severe thunderstorms began producing tornadoes across central Alabama. Houses were damaged and numerous trees were uprooted in Perry and Shelby counties in Alabama.

Overnight, weakening thunderstorms pushed into Georgia and the western Carolinas. Farther north, moderate to heavy rain showers rotated around this low pressure system across Missouri to the lower Great Lakes. Numerous reports of over an inch within 24 hours were noted. Louisville, Ky. reported 1.19 inches while Springville, Mo. came in at 2 inches for the day. Overnight, heavy showers spread into Lower Michigan and Wisconsin while snow was being reported across northern Wisconsin, Upper Michigan, and the arrowhead of Minnesota.

Across the western United States, mostly dry conditions were found across the southern Plains, Rockies, and West Coast. A strong ridge of high pressure brought warm temperatures to most of the west. Ninety degree highs were reported from southern Arizona to northern California. Dozens of records were broken across California and Oregon.

Some new record high temperatures across Calif.

86 San Francisco Airport

88 San Francisco

92 Stockton

94 Downtown L.A.

96 Oxnard

97 Long Beach

WEATHER EXTREMES FOR YESTERDAY:

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F).............102 Anaheim, Calif.

HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F)...............93 Mcallen, Texas

LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)...............15 Stanley, Idaho

LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F).................4 Leadville, Colo.

HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH)......................70 Moulton, Ala.

HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES).............2.00 Springville, Mo.

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:

In 1901, a spring storm dumped 12.7 inches of snow on Pittsburgh, Penn., a record for April.

In 1920, a tornado outbreak killed 219 people in Mississippi and Alabama.

In 1989, 23 cities from the Southwest to the Great Plains reported new record highs. Tucson, Ariz. reported an April record high of 104 degrees.

Filed by DTN-Meteorlogix

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