The Nation's Weather 12.23.09

By WEATHER UNDERGROUND (AP)

The weather was forecast to become more wintry across the Central U.S. as a low pressure system continued to strengthen Wednesday. Flow around this large system was expected to pull abundant moisture into the Plains from the Gulf of Mexico. Forecasters expected the low pressure system, cool air from the north and moist air mass to trigger sloppy winter weather.

The Central and Northern Plains were to brace for 2 to 4 inches of snow during the day, with an additional 3 inches in the evening. The Upper Midwest was forecast to see increasingly snowy conditions by evening with snow totals near 3 inches.

A sloppy combination of freezing rain and snow was expected to make road conditions and any travel dangerous in southern Iowa, Nebraska, and Kansas, where temperatures were forecast just above freezing.

A winter weather storm watch was issued for most of the Central U.S.

Further south, the system was forecast to produce periods of heavy rain showers over Missouri, while a flash flood watch was issued over most of the state.

A low pressure system was expected to push eastward from the Great Basin and over the Central Rockies, strengthening as it traversed the mountains and dropping another 3 to 7 inches of snow.

Otherwise the West Coast was forecast to remain cool and dry as high pressure hovered over the region.

Meanwhile, the Northeast and New England was to see a few light and scattered snow showers with snowfall totals less than a half of an inch and highs in the 20s. Partly cloudy skies were forecast in the Southeast, with highs near 60.