The Nation's Weather 03.12.09

By WEATHER UNDERGROUND

The south-central U.S. was in for some stormy weather on Thursday, while the northern half of the nation was to be dry and cold.

Showers and isolated thunderstorms were forecast for the Southern Plains and the Lower Mississippi Valley, with precipitation expected throughout the day in the form of rain, freezing rain, sleet and snow.

The heaviest rain was expected to fall in central and northern Texas, areas that were under flood warnings. As the day progressed, mixed precipitation and storms were to spread eastward into the mid-Mississippi and Tennessee Valleys.

The greatest snow accumulations were expected along the Arkansas-Missouri line. Western Tennessee, northern Arkansas and southern Missouri were under a Winter Weather Advisory throughout the day.

Meanwhile, a scattered mix of wintry precipitation was to fall across the Four Corners region. Heavier precipitation was expected to fall across the higher elevations throughout the afternoon.

Elsewhere, the northern half of the nation was to continue seeing predominantly dry conditions with cold temperatures.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states on Wednesday ranged from a low of minus 23 degrees at Hettinger, N.D., to a high of 90 degrees at Falfurrias, Texas.