A SOGGY NORTHEAST -- While the weather across the Northeast improved on Tuesday, several rivers to include the Connecticut and Housatonic Rivers remained above flood stage across southern New England on Tuesday night. The high water was the result of a strong storm that had moved across the region over the weekend and on Monday, coupled with the snow melt from the fairly large and deep snow cover.
Albany, NY received record precipitation from this storm on Monday. By early afternoon, 1.65 inches had fallen, breaking the calendar day record. A new 24 hour record of 2.16 inches was also established with this storm.
WET WEATHER MOVES EASTWARD -- An elongated band of mostly light rain traveled eastward from the southern Plains toward the Middle Atlantic coast on Tuesday. This rain fell along and to the north of a frontal boundary that was associated with a weak low pressure system that was centered over middle Tennessee by late evening. The front extended from the Piedmont of the Carolinas westward to Tennessee and then southwestward to the Big Bend region of south Texas. The precipitation band, with no more than a 200 mile width, was located primarily across the Carolinas and Tennessee.
Earlier, from late Monday night into Tuesday morning, thunderstorms developed along this same front, producing hail and high winds across Oklahoma and Arkansas.
The low pressure system is expected to move eastward long the frontal zone, reaching east Tennessee by Wednesday morning. A band of rain is expected to remain over the Middle Atlantic states, to include West Virginia, Virginia and Maryland. Additional precipitation could form along the western terminus of the front over Texas. To the south of the front, a slight risk of strong to severe thunderstorms is expected across Texas through Wednesday.
COOL WEATHER FOR THE UPPER MIDWEST -- A cold front marking the leading edge of a cold Canadian air mass pushed southward across the Midwest on Tuesday night. This cold front trailed from a low pressure system located in Ontario. With little available moisture, few clouds and little precipitation was associated with this front. However, some lake-effect precipitation, predominately in the form of snow, fell along the north side of the front as cold air moved across the relatively warm waters of the Great Lakes. The cold front, stretching across Lower Michigan, central Wisconsin and southern Minnesota, was marked by distinct change in surface winds -- from southerly south of the front to northerly to the north.
By Wednesday morning the cold front is expected to have traveled southward, reaching northern Ohio and Indiana, central Illinois and northern Missouri.
MORE STORMY WEATHER AHEAD FOR THE WEST COAST -- On the heels of one storm, another storm system was about ready to bring more wet and windy weather to the West Coast. As of late Tuesday evening a fairly strong low pressure system was located over the Pacific Ocean some 500 miles to the west of Vancouver Island. An occluded front spiraled out of this low pressure system, approaching to with a hundred miles of the Washington coastline. Precipitation associated with this front had reached the coastline, and extended from the Olympic Peninsula south to vicinity of San Francisco Bay.
By Wednesday morning, the front is forecast to have made landfall and moved inland, reaching the Cascades. The region of precipitation is expected to expand over much of Washington, Oregon and northern California. Rain should fall at lower elevations, while snow is anticipated over the Cascades, extending southward into the mountains of northern California.
In addition to the rain, windy conditions are anticipated, with strong southerly winds prior to frontal passage, then followed by a shift to more west-southwesterly once the front passes. Gale warnings were in effect for the much of the coast north of Point Arena, CA.
Large ocean swell generated by storms across the northern Pacific Ocean continued to move toward the California coast. As a result, heavy surf advisories were continued along a portion of the California coast extending from Point Arena to Point Conception.
TEMPERATURE EXTREMES ACROSS THE LOWER 48 -- On Tuesday, the lowest temperature reported in the continental U.S. was 10 degrees at Fraser, CO, while Tuesday's high was 92 degrees at Lajitas and Presidio, TX.
ALASKAN WEATHER -- A new storm was moving eastward across the Bering Sea on Tuesday. As of late afternoon, the low pressure system was located near Shemya, with an occluded front that spiraled out from the center toward the east, crossing the Aleutians near Unalaska. Cold Bay and Kodiak reported as much as 0.30 inches of precipitation. Wind advisories were in effect for the Pribilofs and for Cold Bay through Tuesday night. Another storm system was situated in the eastern Pacific west of Vancouver Island was responsible for transporting warm humid air northward into the Panhandle. Some locations in the Panhandle, to include Sitka and Annette, received several tenths of an inch of precipitation.
A strong pressure gradient developed over the Brooks Range in northern Alaska between a large ridge of high pressure over the Arctic Ocean and the storm system over the Bering Sea. This pressure gradient produced gusty winds along the Arctic Slope and northwest Alaska, with speeds reaching between 35 to 40 mph. Wind-chill equivalent temperatures were expected to reach 65 degrees below zero along coastal regions of the Arctic Slope. The winds produced blowing snow and blizzard conditions. As a result, a blizzard warning was posted for northwest Alaska extending westward from Barrow and northward from Cape Lisburne through Thursday.
While most of the state experienced cloudy skies on Tuesday, western interior, the Seward Peninsula and Bristol Bay experienced partly cloudy skies.
On Tuesday morning, the lowest overnight temperature across the state was 17 degrees below zero at Anaktuvuk Pass, while the highest temperature as of midafternoon was 50 degrees at Eagle and Wrangle.
HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- The brisk trade winds that Hawaii has experienced since the end of last week have begun to weaken slightly. The ridge of high pressure located to the northwest of the islands on Tuesday afternoon showed some signs of weakening, along with a slackening of the pressure gradient on the southern flank of the ridge. Except for some trade showers upwind of the islands, relatively cloud free skies should prevail throughout the week. Small craft advisories continue in effect for all state waters.
PARTLY SUNNY OR PARTLY CLOUDY? You have probably wondered if a distinction exists. If you are curious, refer to the optional electronic Supplemental Information for Wednesday.
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.