The Nations Weather

NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY:

The eastern half of the country was relatively quiet during Wednesday, with the main impact being rainfall over portions of the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic as an area of low pressure pushed over the Atlantic Ocean. Areas from Pittsburgh to Philadelphia southward to the Virginias got half-inch to three-quarters of an inch of rain, with Baltimore reporting 1.10 inches of rain on Wednesday. Early thunderstorms over southern Florida also dropped upwards of half-inch of rain.

The Western US saw significantly more active weather, as a trough continued to dig through the Four Corners region. Widespread rain and mountain snow showers were seen throughout the northern and central Rockies, as well as the Great Basin. The Wasatch Mountains of Utah were hit particularly hard as the system moved on through. Brighton Crest reported 35 inches of snow, with other portions of the range reporting 1 to 2 feet. In addition to the heavy snowfalls, strong winds were felt over mountain peaks and valleys of the region. Wind gusts of 40-45mph were found across lower elevations, while farther up in the mountains, wind gusts upwards of 70mph were seen at Red Spur and outside of Park City, UT. The Pacific Northwest remained as the lone quiet weather area over the Western US, as a ridge of high pressure camped out overhead.

WEATHER EXTREMES FOR YESTERDAY:

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)..............96 Laredo, TX

HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F)...............89 Marathon, FL

LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)...............12 Mammoth Lakes, CA

LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F).................1 Mammoth Lakes, CA

HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH)......................61 Winslow, AZ

HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES).............0.71 Ogden, UT

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:

In 1933, Franklin Lake, NH was buried under 35 inches of snow.

In 1987, a slow moving storm system produced heavy rain over NC and the Mid-Atlantic states. Over 6 inches of rain flooded parts of VA, killing 3. Floodwaters along the James River in undated parts of Richmond, VA.

In 1989, a cold front, bringing sharply colder air into the north-central US, brought snow to parts of MT and ND. The midday temperature at Cutbank, MT was a mere 22 degrees.

DTN-Meteorlogix

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 This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.