National Weather at 840am December 7 2004

[Jeb]

Stormy East and West

8:44 A.M. ET 12/7/2004

 

Matthew Newman, Sr. Meteorologist, The Weather Channel

 

 

Northeast

Low pressure will head northeastward into the Great Lakes today and result in plenty of rain and wind for the Northeast. Most of the cold air responsible for Monday's wintry precipitation will be scoured out as the storm pulls up plenty of mild air from the south. Some freezing rain and sleet is possible at the onset of the precipitation, especially in some of the valley locations of New York and southern New England. In northern New England the air will remain cold enough for snow and/or mixed precipitation, at least initially. The precipitation in northern Maine should remain all snow, however, and significant amounts will pile up by early Wednesday. Winds will gust above 40 mph at times today throughout the region. Highs will range from the teens across northern Maine to the warm 60s in Virginia.

 

Midwest

The Great Lakes and Ohio Valley will also be impacted by the storm passing through. Rain and wind will be common across the region. Gusts could exceed 40 mph at times. Meanwhile, the air will remain cold enough across northern Wisconsin and the U.P. of Michigan for a mixture of snow and rain to fall. Across the Plains, partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies will dominate. Highs will range from the warm 60s across the Ohio Valley to the 20s in the upper Red River Valley. Highs in the 40s and 50s will be widespread across the central Plains and mid-Mississippi Valley.

 

South

The trailing cold front from the storm heading through the Great Lakes will swing through the Southeast today. Showers and storms will accompany the front as it pushes eastward toward the Carolinas. Drier air will build in behind the front across the southern Plains. Meanwhile, warm and sunny weather will continue across Florida where highs will top out in the 80s. Highs elsewhere will be mostly in the 60s and 70s.

 

West

A series of moisture-rich disturbances will push onshore along the West Coast over the next few days and result in heavy coastal/valley rain and deep mountain snow. Parts of the central and northern Sierra Nevada Range will pick up anywhere from 1 to 3 feet of snow. The snow will even overspread the interior with significant snows likely across the Wasatch. Meanwhile, up to 5 inches of rain will soak lower elevations from the Pacific Northwest to central California. Winds will also be gusty with gusts over 50 mph possible along the headlands of Oregon. Surf will also batter the coastline through the remainder of the week. The only area escaping the unsettled weather over the next few days will be across the Southwest where a ridge of high pressure building in overhead will result in generally dry and milder weather.