Nat'l Weather (1115am) November 4 2004

[Jeb]

Storm system targets the Northeast

11:15 A.M. ET 11/4/2004

 

Matthew Newman, Senior Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

 

 

 

Northeast

After a chilly start for some, the main weather story is the advancing wet rainy weather from the Mid-Atlantic into the Northeast. Even some rumbles of thunder are possible across the Mid-Atlantic where a few storms may reach severe limits in southeast Virginia. The only dry areas today will be across New England where high pressure will hold on and result in partly cloudy skies, but the rain will sweep in tonight. Highs will range form the 40s across Northern New England to the 50s across the Mid-Atlantic. Expect conditions to become quite windy on Friday as deepening low pressure moves from Maine into the Canadian Maritimes. Snow will fall across northern Maine and the mountains of Vermont and New Hampshire. New York and New England will remain breezy through the weekend with a few showers over interior sections. A new cold front, approaching the U.S.-Canadian border by late Sunday, will sweep through the region Monday. Temperatures will be 5 to 15 degrees below average Tuesday and Wednesday as much colder air moves in.

 

South

The slow-moving upper-level storm system that has brought unsettled weather to the region for the past few days is slowly moving out. The result will be drier weather across the Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. The wet weather will continue across the Southeast though. Cooler weather will also be sliding in behind the departing system after a few days of record warmth. Highs will range from the 60s and 70s across the Southern Plains to the still warm 80s across Florida. Except for a few showers over southeast Florida, the South will be rain free Friday through Monday. A new storm will bring increasing rain to the southern Plains Tuesday into Wednesday. The rain will sweep from the lower Mississippi Valley to off the Southeast Coast next Thursday and Friday.

 

Midwest

Two systems converging over the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley will deliver more wet weather to the region. The cold front sweeping through the Great Lakes will also usher in cool temperatures across the Upper Midwest where a few snow flakes will fly across the U.P. of Michigan. Winds will also be gusty across the northern Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes region. Meanwhile, high pressure will result in dry but cool weather across the Plains. Highs will range from the 40s across the Plains to the 50s across the Great Lakes and Ohio Valley. Temperatures will dramatically rebound Friday and Saturday from the Plains to the western Great Lakes. Warm westerly winds will boost temperatures to levels 5 to 15 degrees above average. A cold front will swoop down from Canada Sunday and Monday bringing temperatures in the Plains back to average while areas east of the Mississippi River will be 5 to 10 degrees below average by Tuesday. A wet storm will develop in the Plains and Mississippi Valley later Tuesday and Wednesday with some snow on its western fringe.

 

West

The big story will be an upper-level low pressure area that will drift slowly across the state of California. Snow will occur across the Sierra's where snow levels will be around 5000 feet. Expect additional snow in the central and southern Sierra. This is more great news for the early season skiers. Rain will occur in the valley areas with even an occasional bolt of lightning with a thunderstorm. Scattered showers will shift from coastal central California Friday to coastal southern California Saturday before the system moves through the Southwest Sunday and Monday.

 

There is currently no appreciable tropical weather in any of the major ocean basins, so I won't do a tropical post today.