The Nation's Weather 10.30.09

By WEATHER UNDERGROUND (AP)

Rain and flooding were forecast to continue over the Mississippi River on Friday as a strong front lingered over the region.

A low pressure system was expected to push northward and move into Canada from the Plains. Flow around the system could continue to create a cold front that could stretch from the Great Lakes, down the Mississippi and into the Southeast.

Warm and moist conditions over the Gulf of Mexico were forecast to continue feeding the system in the South. That means the region could see another day of scattered showers and thunderstorms, some of which could turn severe based on their history of producing strong and damaging winds and tornadoes.

New rainfall amounts in the South could reach up to 3 inches, while the North was expected to see less than an inch of rain.

High pressure was forecast to start moving into the Plains from the Rockies. It could bring strong winds with gusts up to 35 mph over the region and push cool Canadian air with lingering moisture over the Northern and Central Plains.

The combination of cool and moist conditions were expected to allow for scattered snow showers over the Dakotas and Nebraska that would move eastward toward Minnesota and Iowa throughout the day.

A winter weather advisory and blizzard warning have been issued for most of Nebraska on Friday. Ahead of this front, the East Coast was forecast to see increasingly cloudy skies with highs remaining in the 40s and 50s in the Northeast and 70s in the Mid-Atlantic states.

In the West, a trough was expected to linger over the Pacific Northwest and allow for another day of light and scattered showers. The system could create strong winds over the Northern Rockies with gusts up to 55 mph in some areas.

The rest of the coast was expected to remain cool and sunny on Friday.

On Thursday, temperatures in the Lower 48 states ranged from a low of negative 5 degrees at Climax, Colo. to a high of 93 degrees at Punta Gorda, Fla.