WINTRY WEATHER ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST -- Snow, an unusual, if not rare event occurred over portions the Southeast early Wednesday. Several inches of light snow whitened the ground in the Atlanta, GA metropolitan area, as a low pressure system moved across the region. By later in the day the storm system had moved eastward, helping intensify an another system out into the Atlantic Ocean.
A NOR'EASTER? A low pressure system that was moving northward off the Delmarva Peninsula on late Wednesday night had the potential for becoming a major winter storm across southern New England. The forecast storm track indicates that the storm could move sufficiently close to New England to permit precipitation fall inland. Secondly, intensification of the sytem could cause strong winds, resulting from an increased pressure gradient. And finally, a large cold high pressure system would have sufficiently cold air to permit the precipitation to fall as snow. As a result, a nor'easter is a possibility, named for the strong northeast winds that precede a storm sytem that moves northward along the Atlantic Coast toward New England.
By late Wednesday night, snow had begun to fall at Cape Cod. On Thursday morning the storm center should be located to the southeast of Nantucket Island as additinal snow develops across southern New England. Winter storm warnings have been issued for Rhode Island and southern Massachusetts, to include Cape Cod through Thursday night for as much as 12 inches of snow accumulation. Northeast winds were forecast that would increase speeds to between 25 to 30 mph, with gusts to 50 mph A winter weather advisory was posted for Boston and vicinity. Gale and storm warnings for maritime interests were posted for the New England Coast from Watch Hill, RI near Narragansett Bay to Merrimack River, the boundary between Massachusetts and New Hampshire.
SNOW MOVES ACROSS THE MIDWEST -- A band of snow associated with a low pressure system over the Manitoba lakes moved eastward across the Great Lakes on Monday. Total accumulations across northern Iowa, southern Minnesota and Wisconsin were between 3 and 4 inches. By late Monday night the precipitation, ahead of a warm front, had spread eastward into lower Michigan.
By Thursday morning the precipitation should have spread eastward to the Lower Lakes
ANOTHER STORM REACHES THE PACIFIC COAST -- A storm in the North Pacific made landfall on Wednesday. A low pressure center approached the Queen Charlotte Islands and an accompanying cold front stretched southward along the British Columbia Washington State and Oregon coasts. Widespread precipitation in advance of this approaching cold front stretched from the Puget Sound south to northern California.
Heavy rain fell along low-lying coastal regions, while snow fell at higher elevations of the Cascades. The precipitation from the storms that have repeatedly traversed the region has saturated the ground. River flooding and landslides have been the result across western Oregon and Washington State. The rain on Wednesday morning helped boost the monthly total precipitation at Quillayute, WA to 23.31 inches, a new monthly total for February. Precipitation records for the November through February were also recorded at Seattle (32.81 inches) .and Olympia (53.15 inches). In addition, Seattle has had 86 days with measurable precipitation (0.01 inches of more), one less of the record.
Storm-generated ocean swell produced 34 foot swells at an ocean buoy off the coast. Strong winds, with gusts to 50 mph, have battered coastal regions. Heavy surface advisories and gale warnings were in effect for the coast north of Point Arena, CA.
HIGH PRESSURE OVER THE SOUTHWEST -- A large high pressure system remained over the Four Corners area of the Southwest. On Wednesday, record high temperatures were set at Logan and Delta in Utah, as warm air was locted to the east of an approaching cold front.
YESTERDAY'S TEMPERATURE EXTREMES ACROSS THE LOWER 48 -- The lowest temperature on Wednesday was 15 degrees below zero at Presque Isle, ME. Wednesday's high was 86 degrees at Monrovia, CA.
ALASKAN WEATHER -- Several storms near southern Alaska spread clouds and precipitation across the region on Wednesday. Cloudy skies, fog and a mixture of rain and snow across the southern portion of the Panhandle were associated with a fairly large low pressure system that was moving toward British Columbia's Queen Charlotte Islands. Another low pressure system was moving across the Bering Sea toward Nunivak Island off the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, accompanied by clouds and snow that fell across southwestern Alaska. An elongated trough of low pressure extended along the coast of southeast Alaska. Moderate rain was reported at Annette, while snow fell over south central Alaska., with between 2 and 7 inches reported between Anchorage and Seward. Gusty winds that reached 40 mph were reported in the vicinity of Prince William Sound and over northern portions of the Panhandle. Earlier on Wednesday strong southwest winds with gusts to 45 mph reduced the visibility across the Pribilofs to less than a mile.
A ridge of high pressure was located over the Chuckchi Sea to the northwest of Alaska.
On Wednesday morning the state lowest temperature was 38 degrees below zero at Umiat, while the midafternoon state high was 41 degrees at Sitka.
HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- A ridge of high pressure to the north and northeast of Hawaii should maintain tranquil conditions over the islands through Friday. Cloud-free skies over all but the interior of the islands should produce sunny days and cool, clear nights. Light winds of most of the islands should permit the development of a daytime onshore sea breeze, while at night, an offshore land breeze should develop. Moderate trade winds should persist around the Big Island.
Clear skies and cold air drainage were responsible for the minimum temperature at Kahului falling to a record tying low of 57 degrees on the Wednesday morning.
BETTER LATE, THAN...Two other states in addition to the seven southern states listed in Monday's Daily Summary are also observing Severe Weather Awareness Week: North Carolina and South Carolina (in the Eastern Region of the National Weather Service).
SEASONS -- For a detailed description of meteorological seasons, see Thursday's optional Supplemental Information.
From the files of the Aviation Weather Center, Kansas City, MO and Intellicast
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Prepared by Edward J. Hopkins, Ph.D., email hopkins@meteor.wisc.edu
© Copyright, 1999, The American Meteorological Society.