The Nation's Weather 09.24.09

By WEATHER UNDERGROUND (AP)

The East was forecast to remain wet Thursday while another system developed in the Plains.

A slow moving trough would continue hovering over the East Coast and allow for widespread scattered showers to persist from the Northeast to the Gulf States. Severe storms were not expected to develop from the system, rather light and scattered showers with less and a tenth of an inch. The North would remain in the 60s and the South would see highs in the 70s and 80s.

Meanwhile, a small ridge of high pressure was forecast to quickly build in behind this system over the Mississippi River Valley and Great Lakes regions. This would bring mostly sunny skies and warmer temperatures with it allowing for highs to approach the 80s. At the same time, a low pressure system would move from the Central Rockies into the Plains. Flow around this system was expected to create a front that would extend over the Central and Southern Plains. This system would kick up scattered showers, with severe storms not likely to develop. However, flooding would remain a threat over the South as the front allowed for wet conditions to persist.

The West Coast was expected to remain warm and dry as a strong ridge of high pressure built over the region. Mostly sunny skies with highs in the 80s would stretch from the Pacific Northwest and over California, as the deserts in the Southwest reach into the upper 90s.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Wednesday ranged from a low of 21 degrees at Daniel, Wyo., to a high of 108 degrees at Death Valley, Calif.