The Nation's Weather 03.06.09

By WEATHER UNDERGROUND

Active weather was developing over the Eastern U.S. on Friday, while wet weather was forecast to persists in the Northwest.

A wintry mix of snow and rain was to fall in the Great Lakes, extending down to the Ohio River Valley. Most areas were to see light rain. Less than half of inch of sleet was expected in northern New York and less than a half of inch of rain was likely over the Ohio River Valley.

To the south, warm conditions and mostly sunny skies were expected in the Southeast. Highs were to be in the upper 60s in the Mid-Atlantic states and the upper 70s in the Southeast.

In the Plains, warm temperatures and sunny skies were forecast. The Northern Plains was to reach into the mid-40s, while the Central and Southern Plains were to reach into the 80s. Strong winds with gusts up to 30 mph were expected to the south, creating a fire danger.

Meanwhile, in the West, an inch of new snowfall accumulation over the Great Basin was expected early in the day. The Northern Rockies was to see 2 to 5 inches of snow throughout the day, with a chance of isolated thunderstorms, none of which were expected to turn severe. The West Coast was to see mostly sunny skies and pleasant conditions.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states on Thursday ranged from a low of minus 14 degrees at Whitefield, Minn., to a high of 94 degrees at Pecos, Texas.