Nat'l Weather (150PM) October 12 2004

[Jeb]

Much colder northern Plains, Upper Midwest Wednesday

1:51 P.M. ET 10/12/2004

 

Senior Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

 

 

 

Midwest

Strong northerly winds shifting from the Plains to the western Midwest during the day Wednesday will usher in a blast of very chilly Canadian air. From highs today in the 60s and low 70s over the northern Plains and Upper Midwest, readings will nosedive into 40s and 50s tomorrow. Scattered showers extending from the Upper Midwest to the central Plains will accompany the onrushing cold air. Farther east, showers from a weak low over the Ohio Valley will dampen the lower Midwest and Kentucky. Highs here will be in the more respectable 60s, at least for one more day.

 

South

Widely scattered showers and isolated thundershowers will dot Oklahoma and Texas tomorrow as a cold front plunges south through the southern Plains. The greatest concentration of showers is expected over the Texas and Oklahoma Panhandles. Farther east, a few showers are likely here and there in Tennessee, northern Alabama, northern Georgia and the Carolinas as weak low pressure lifts into the upper Ohio Valley. By far the wettest weather will be in North Carolina and northeast South Carolina. Don't rule out the possibility of a handful of severe storms in the Carolinas, either. Overall, high temperatures are forecast to range from the 60s to the 80s, north to south.

 

Northeast

Much of the Northeast will experience pleasant fall weather tomorrow, although a weak storm system centered in the upper Ohio Valley will spread showers northeastward through West Virginia and Virginia. A few showers could reach western Pennsylvania and the DelMarVa Peninsula by late in the day. Sunshine is expected to dominate New York state, New Jersey and most of New England (eastern and northern Maine excepted). High temperatures are forecast to range from the 50s in northern Maine to the 70s in eastern Virginia.

 

West

Except for scattered or widely scattered showers over southeast Wyoming, eastern Colorado and eastern New Mexico Wednesday will be another dry day in the West. A strong ridge of high pressure pushing into the Pacific Northwest and northern California will ensure lots of sunshine and above average temperatures in those areas, with warm, dry offshore winds prevailing in Oregon and northern California. Overall, highs will range from the 40s in the higher Colorado Rockies to the 90s in the Mojave and Sonoran Deserts and valleys of California. Readings in the 80s are expected to reach as far north as southwest Oregon.