WEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND -- The first weekend of March was more wintry than some of the previous recent weekends in February. Snow fell across a large portion of the Midwest into the eastern Great Lakes especially at the beginning of the weekend. Unseasonably cold conditions were also experienced over a wide portion of the country.
A storm system that moved from the southern Plains into the mid-Mississippi Valley on Friday spread snow across the Midwest. As much as six inches of snow fell across western Illinois on Friday. The storm was also responsible for severe weather, as thunderstorms developed to the south of the system along a cold front on Friday afternoon and evening. These thunderstorms produced large hail and damaging high winds across Missouri, Arkansas, Oklahoma and Texas and Louisiana. Several tornadoes produced damage across central and western Arkansas. By early Saturday morning, severe thunderstorms were reported in Alabama.
By Saturday morning this storm system had reached the Ohio Valley. Heavy snow fell to the north of the storm across the lower Great Lakes, where such locations as Detroit, MI and Cleveland, OH received at least 6 inches of snow. Significant thunderstorm activity did not develop over the Southeast on Saturday. However, on Saturday morning, lightning killed one person and injured another as they were in a boat on Hurricane Lake approximately 50 miles east of Pensacola, FL.
The storm system moved into the Middle Atlantic States by Saturday evening and by Sunday morning, it was located in the Gulf of Maine to the east of Boston, MA. Snow continued to accompany the storm, with the heaviest amounts occurring the north side of the system. By midafternoon Saturday, Buffalo, NY had recorded 8.1 inches of snow, breaking a record for the date. By Sunday evening, an additional 18 inches of heavy snow had fallen in Rochester, NY upon the 24 inches that had fallen last Thursday. As of Sunday 42.7 inches of snow had fallen in March at Rochester, breaking the previous record. More than a foot of snow fell across New England.
An arctic air mass moved southeastward from central Canada at the end of last week. By Friday morning this air mass was associated with a ridge of high pressure that was located over the Manitoba lakes region. Cold air was transported southward on the eastern flank of the high. By Saturday morning, lake-effect snows were detected along the western shore of Lake Michigan, as well as across eastern Minnesota and northwest Wisconsin along the western end of Lake Superior as northeast winds blew along the lengths of the lakes. On Sunday morning, the high had moved over northern Lake Michigan. Under the clear skies and weak winds under high pressure, coupled with a fresh snow cover, record low temperatures were set on Sunday morning in lower Michigan at Lansing with 13 degrees below zero and at Flint with 6 degrees below zero.
High pressure was located along the West Coast on Friday morning. As a result, a record low temperature of 31 degrees was tied on Friday morning in Eureka, CA. On Sunday morning, Eureka, CA reached a record low of 32 degrees, while Oakland tied a record low of 42 degrees.
A weak trough of low pressure moved into southern California on Saturday night. This system moved eastward, producing rain across southern Arizona and high elevation snow
Along the Gulf Coast, a record high temperature of 77 degrees was tied at Galveston, TX on Saturday and a record was set at Beaumount, TX with 84 degrees.
A waterspout was reported near Astoria, OR early Sunday afternoon.
WEATHER FOR STARTING THE NEW WEEK -- The storm system that had been responsible for the heavy snows across New York State earlier in the weekend was located over Nova Scotia late Sunday night. Some lingering snow and snowshowers remained over eastern Maine in the vicinity of Caribou as strong northerly winds continued across northern New England. Gale warnings remained in effect for the Atlantic coast from Fenwick Island, DE to Eastport, ME. This storm system is expected to continue moving toward the Gulf of St. Lawrence on Monday, resulting in a weakening of the winds and a dissipation of the snow over New England.
A cold high pressure system centered over Michigan's Lower Peninsula brought clear skies to much of the nation east of the Mississippi. Overnight temperatures should fall as a result of the cold air mass, the clear and dry skies and the weak winds. A fresh snow cover across the Great Lakes states should also allow for strong radiative heat losses over the region centered on lower Michigan, meaning another cold night. Farther south, a freeze warning was posted for much of South Carolina as overnight low temperatures across all but coastal portions of the state are expected to fall to the upper 20s to low 30s as a result of the high pressure system. By Monday morning this high should have moved eastward into southern Michigan.
A low pressure system that was expected to become a major snow-producing storm system affecting the Midwest was located over the high plateau of western Colorado as of late Sunday night. An occluded front extended southward from the low pressure center to west central New Mexico, where a warm front extended eastward across southern Texas, and a cold front continuing southward into northern Mexico. Some light snow was falling over western Colorado and northern New Mexico. Rain fell over southern New Mexico, and across the Red River Valley of north Texas and southern Oklahoma. Some freezing rain was falling over southwestern Kansas and eastern Nebraska. By Monday morning this storm system is expected to be located in eastern Colorado. A more extensive precipitation shield is expected to expand across the central Plains, with rain and imbedded thunderstorms extending northward from north Texas into Kansas, snow across Nebraska and Iowa, and freezing rain along a thin transition zone over northern Kansas. A band of heavy snow, with anticipated amounts in excess of 12 inches was expected to track eastward from near Omaha to Chicago. Winter storm warnings have been issued across Kansas, Nebraska and Iowa. Watches and advisories were also issued for neighboring states. Additional snow was also expected over the San Juan mountains of southwestern Colorado, where more than 12 inches could fall.
Farther south, in the warm sector to the southeast of the storm system in a region defined by the warm and cold fronts, thunderstorms are expected to form across Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana. Some of these thunderstorms are expected to turn severe and several may spawn tornadoes.
Weak high pressure was located over portions of the California coast near San Francisco Bay. Frost advisories were posted for the central valleys of California.
A storm system over the eastern Pacific Ocean was moving toward northern portions of Vancouver Island. On Monday morning precipitation in advance of the system is expected to develop along the coast from northern California northward to Washington State's Olympic Peninsula.
TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE COTERMINOUS U.S. -- The lowest temperature on Sunday was 18 degrees below zero at Marquette, MI, while Sunday's highest temperature was 87 degrees at McAllen, TX.
ALASKAN WEATHER -- At the start of the weekend, cold high pressure dominated much of the weather across mainland Alaska. By Saturday this strong ridge of high pressure began to retreat and several low pressure systems moved across the state. The annual Iditarod sled dog race started on Saturday under clear skies but with winds gusting to 20 mph that produced wind-chill equivalent temperatures of 25 degrees below zero. Several storms were responsible for cloudy and windy conditions in widely separated areas of the state on Sunday afternoon. Clouds across northern and central interior Alaska were associated with a weak low pressure system over the Yukon Valley of northern interior Alaska. Wind gusts to 40 mph were reported at Kivalina. Light snow also associated with this system fell across coastal regions of the North Slope. Another weak low pressure system situated over the northeastern Gulf of Alaska produced clouds from central southeast Alaska southward across much of the Panhandle. Wind gusts to 58 mph were reported at Whittier and Valdez had gusts to 46 mph. A large storm system over the western Aleutians spread clouds across the Aleutians, the Pribilofs and western portions of the Alaska Peninsula. Winds reaching 45 mph were reported ahead of the accompanying front that was advancing through the central Aleutians.
A ridge of high pressure was situated across portions of western Alaska. Relatively cloud-free skies were found associated with this ridge across the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta, Bristol Bay, eastern portions of the Alaska Peninsula, Kodiak Island, and south central Alaska.
The lowest overnight temperature in the state on Sunday morning was 42 degrees below zero at Northway. The state's highest temperature as of midafternoon was 39 degrees at Annette.
HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- Showers across the islands at the start of the weekend dissipated and by Sunday relatively dry weather returned to the state. As of Sunday afternoon, the easterly trade winds across Hawaii were increasing in speed as a large high pressure ridge to the northeast of the islands was intensifying. This pattern should continue through Tuesday.
BECOMING AWARE -- During this coming week of 7-13 March, Indiana, Ohio, Kansas and Missouri have their Severe/hazardous Weather Awareness Week. In Ohio, it is also known as Tornado and Flood Safety Week. These weeks are usually scheduled before the onset of the severe weather season in that particular state. If you live in any of these states, you should take time to become familiar with the various public affairs announcements issued by your local National Weather Service Office. In upcoming weeks, other states will observe Severe Weather Awareness weeks.
Thanks are extended to Linda Kremkau of the Office of Meteorology, National Weather Service, who supplied the schedule of 1999 Severe Weather Awareness Weeks.
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.