The Nations Weather

NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY:

A winter storm continues to impact the northeastern quarter of the nation with freezing rain, sleet and heavy snow. The culprit is an area of low pressure that will track from western Pennsylvania northeastward into Maine over the next 24 hours. Freezing rain has moved out of the lower Ohio Valley area into parts of Pennsylvania and southeastern New York. The ice accumulation in these areas has mostly been light in comparison to the very heavy ice buildups that occurred yesterday from Arkansas to Kentucky. Heavy snow has spread from Indiana and northern Ohio through northwestern Pennsylvania and New York. Snowfall reports from this area have mostly been in the 5-10 inch range. The heaviest snows today will extend from northern New York through Vermont, New Hampshire and northern Maine, with 10-20 inches expected through tonight.

Further to the south, a band of showers will occur along a cold front from Virginia southward into northern Florida. The rain will end by this evening over the Mid-Atlantic region, but heavier showers could develop overnight in northern Florida and southern Georgia as the front stalls out. Much colder air will sweep into the eastern U.S. overnight behind the cold front.

Cold but dry weather is the rule in the south central U.S. The cold will hamper the removal of the heavy ice that fell yesterday over northern Arkansas, southern Missouri, southern Illinois into the western parts of Kentucky and Tennessee. Many areas continue to experience power outages. To the north, somewhat milder air will spread into the Northern Plains. The milder temperatures will be accompanied by some light snow or flurries, along with gustier winds.

Across the West, milder temperatures will occur over California and the Southwest. Cool readings will be common across the intermountain region. Snow showers will occur in the mountains from northern Washington through northern Idaho, western Montana, Wyoming and northwestern Colorado. Strong wind gusts will occur in some of the higher elevations of Wyoming and northern Colorado.

WEATHER EXTREMES:

HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F).............84 Fort Pierce, FL

.............................................. Melbourne, F

HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F)..............84 Fort Pierce, FL

LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F).............-29 Presque Isle, ME

LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F)..............-41 Hallock, MN

HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH).................... 58 Hot Springs, VA

HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES)............1.11 Perry, FL

ON THIS DATE IN HISTORY:

In 1780, temperatures dipped to a frigid 16 degrees below zero in New York City.

In 1988, International Falls, MN recorded a new daily record high of 34 degrees.

In 1990, a tornado injured 6 people near Blythe, GA.

DTN-Meteorlogix/J Stephen

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