ONE WINTRY STORM EXITS -- The storm system that produced heavy snows over the weekend along a long track that extended from Colorado to New England moved out to sea on Monday. A low pressure system that moved off the Carolina coast intensified as it moved northward. By late Monday night, the center of the low was located in the Bay of Fundy. While that actual low pressure system was out to sea, its presence continued to be felt across New England. A strong pressure gradient that had developed between a ridge of high over the Great Lakes and the low pressure center produced strong northerly winds that reached 50 mph across northern New England. Snow continued to fall across the entire state of Maine, where as much as 15 inches of new snow had fallen.
Earlier on Monday, upward of 8 inches of snow fell in the Boston area. Some locations in southern Pennsylvania near Bedford recorded as much as 20 inches as a result of the storm. The storm created hazardous travel conditions across the Northeast Corridor. The poor driving conditions associated with the snow contributed to a 20 vehicle accident on I-70 near Baltimore, MD. Some power outages resulted as the heavy wet snow brought down power lines in Pennsylvania, near Philadelphia, in Connecticut and in West Virginia.
Chilly weather followed in the wake of the storm system.. Afternoon high temperatures ranged from 5 to 10 degrees below the 30 year average highs across the East, extending into the Middle Atlantic states.
The storm system is expected to continue moving northward across the Canadian Maritimes. The snow should end by Tuesday morning, with the exception of lingering snow in northeastern Maine.
SNOWS IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA -- A storm system that had moved into Southern California late Sunday night was responsible for producing as much as a foot of snow at the elevations above 3000 feet in the Southern California mountains on Monday. Relatively heavy rains were reported at lower elevations, as daily record rainfall totals were recorded at Cuyama (0.82 inches) and at Torrance (0.77 inches).
On late Monday night the low pressure system was centered in southern Nevada. This storm system is expected to move eastward on Tuesday, reaching southern Utah by morning. Rain is expected to fall across southern Arizona, while snow could fall across the higher terrain of northern Arizona.
UNSETTLED WEATHER IN THE NORTHWEST -- Precipitation fell across the Pacific Northwest on Monday night as a cold front associated with a low pressure system in western Canada moved across the region. Rain was reported across the lower elevations, while snow fell in the Cascades and the mountains of the Idaho Panhandle. This system was expected to move southeastward, with a low being positioned over the high plains of north central Montana on Tuesday morning.
CONTINUED QUIET WEATHER ACROSS THE NATION'S MIDSECTION -- A large sprawling ridge of high pressure over the lower Mississippi Valley continued to remain the dominant feature for a large portion of the nation, stretching from the Southeast north to the Great Lakes. The air mass was reasonably dry, permitting some large daily temperature variations.
The clear skies and light surface winds under high pressure coupled with the fresh snow cover allowed the temperature to fall overnight to a record low 12 degrees at Springfield, MO. Record low temperatures were also reported on Monday morning in Texas at Victoria (34 degrees), Houston/Intercontinental (32 degrees) and Bryan/College Station (31 degrees).
The relatively clear skies, coupled with southerly winds transporting warm air northward contributed to warm conditions across the western Plains. Afternoon maximum temperatures across the Plains were on the order of 15 degrees above the corresponding climatological average high temperatures for the date. Record high temperatures were either tied or exceeded on Monday afternoon in Nebraska at Valentine (76 degrees), Alliance and Scottsbluff (both 74 degrees); in Colorado at Pueblo (76 degrees), Colorado Springs (69 degrees) and Alamosa (64 degrees); and in Wyoming at Worland (74 degrees).
TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE LOWER 48 -- Due to a communications problem with the National Centers for Environmental Prediction, the listing of national temperature extremes for Monday was not available.
ALASKAN WEATHER -- Several low pressure centers situated across Alaska on Monday afternoon produced clouds and generally light precipitation. Individual low pressure cells were located near Tanana, Gulkana, Seward, Nome and King Salmon. The low near Gulkana had a frontal band that curved eastward, then southeastward across the Panhandle. Most of the precipitation fell across southeast Alaska. A snow advisory was continued on Monday for Anchorage and vicinity.
Two low pressure systems were found over the Bering Sea. One low pressure center was located in the central Bering Sea had clouds that extended southward along a front to Adak, while the other low was located over Saint Paul Island.
On Monday the overnight lowest temperature in the state was 22 degrees below zero at Umiat, while the midafternoon highest temperature in Alaska was 44 degrees at Klawock.
HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- A shear line with showers passed across the islands and with a new high pressure cell moving north of the islands, the northeast trade winds began to intensify on Monday. On Tuesday clouds and showers should diminish. Small craft advisories remained in effect for state waters.
THE WATER BUDGET --For more information describing the global hydrological cycle, you may consult the optional material in Tuesday's electronic 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.