The Nation's Weather 09.23.09

By WEATHER UNDERGROUND (AP)

Wet weather was forecast to persist across the South as a front continued sweeping through the Eastern U.S. on Wednesday.

A low pressure system hovering over the Mid-Mississippi Valley would create a cold front flow around the back side of the system pushing cool air in from the North. At the same time, southerly flow ahead of the cold front would pull moisture in from the Gulf, which would allow for scattered showers and thunderstorms to develop in the South, with lighter showers extending up the East Coast.

Forecasters said to expect the Northeast and New England to see rainfall amounts less than a tenth of an inch with more likely in areas of strong thunderstorm development. Flooding would continue to threaten the Lower Mississippi River Valley as strongest storms with heaviest rainfall would linger over the South.
Meanwhile in the West, a strong low pressure system would spin over the Central Rockies Wednesday. With cool air pouring in from Canada, the system would allow for the first dusting of snowfall over the region.

Forecasters said to expect 1 to 2 inches of rain over lower elevations, with snowfall totals between 4 to 8 inches in the mountains. Freeze and frost advisories would remain in effect over the Rockies and high plains as overnight lows would dip into the 30s again Wednesday night.

On the West Coast, hot, dry, and windy conditions were expected to persist as high pressure continued to build, thus, fires would remain a threat over most of California. Highs in the 80s were expected in the Pacific Northwest, while California would reach into the 90s and 100s.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Tuesday ranged from a low of 17 degrees at Daniel, Wyo., to a high of 108 degrees at Indio, Calif.