WEATHER OVER THE WEEKEND -- A storm system that was situated over the Georgia coast on Thursday evening moved offshore and by Friday morning had begun its trip northeastward paralleling the coastline. Scattered areas of precipitation were found over the Carolinas, where as much as 1.5 inches fell over the Outer Banks. Some of the mountains of the western Carolinas received several inches of snow as of Friday afternoon. Gusty onshore wind conditions were found along the coast. To the south over the Florida Peninsula, thunderstorms developed along the cold front that trailed the storm system. A tornado that produced some minor damage was reported by the public near Palm Beach, FL on Friday evening. By Saturday morning the low was well out to sea off the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The track of the low began to curve more toward the northwest by Saturday evening as the low center was located off the Delmarva Peninsula. By Sunday morning the low pressure center was off the New Jersey shore. Strong winds reached speeds of up to 30 mph. Precipitation associated with this storm system began spread across the New York metropolitan area and southern New England. This precipitation shield persisted across New England throughout Sunday.
A storm system that had moved onshore in Southern California on Thursday evening moved eastward across southern Arizona and New Mexico during the following 36 hours. As of Saturday morning the low pressure center was situated over the Rio Grande Valley near the Big Bend area of west Texas. At this time the area of precipitation expanded as moisture from the Gulf of Mexico began to feed into the storm on southeasterly winds. By Saturday evening severe thunderstorms developed over South Texas as the surface low migrated to the southeast along the Rio Grande River. Large hail fell and thunderstorm winds produced minor damage in the lower Rio Grande valley near McAllen and near San Antonio. Record rains fell in Texas. On Saturday Laredo had 1.97 inches of rain and Del Rio with 1.64 inches. Within 4 hours early Sunday morning 2.07 inches of rain fell at Corpus Christi to break a 102 year old record, Victoria had a record 1.48 inches during this same span of time. Also on Sunday, Brownsville received a record 2.42 inches of rain by mid morning. These heavy rains caused flooding in Texas, as some roads became impassable at low water crossings.
A large ridge of high pressure kept the weather relatively tranquil across the Midwest for much of the weekend. On Friday morning this high pressure cell was centered over Wisconsin and produced relatively clear skies and relatively quiet weather conditions from the Eastern Seaboard to the Rockies. During the next two days, the center of the high moved eastward, reaching northern Ohio as of Sunday morning.
To the west of the high, a storm system was moving through the northern Rockies by late Thursday. The low pressure center was located over Alberta with a cold front that trailed southward into the Montana Rockies. During the next 24 hours this system underwent an occlusion with the primary low remaining over Saskatchewan and a secondary low that developed over eastern Montana. The trailing cold front continued tracking eastward over the weekend. As the cold front moved across the northern Rockies and the western high Plains, it was accompanied by high winds. On Friday afternoon reports were made of non-thunderstorm winds with gusts to 61 mph at Sheridan, WY, and in Montana to 58 mph at Miles City and to 54 mph at Billings. In the southwesterly winds ahead of the cold front, the high Plains experienced one last day of unseasonably warm weather. On Friday afternoon, daily high temperature records were set at Glasgow, MT (75 degrees) and in Wyoming at Douglas (71 degrees) and Wheatland (76 degrees). Cooler weather, followed behind the front, with temperatures some 20 degrees cooler than ahead of the front.
Thunderstorms along the cold front on Saturday afternoon produced high winds across the high Plains, with gusts to at least 70 mph to the west of McCook, NE and large hail in northern Kansas. By Saturday night a band of precipitation began to form across the eastern Plains and the upper Mississippi Valley ahead of the cold front as southerly winds began bringing Gulf moisture northward. A region of light rain continued eastward into the western Great Lakes on Sunday morning. Since the air was relatively dry, much of the precipitation falling from the clouds never reached the ground, evaporating on the descent toward the earth's surface.
Wet weather continued over the Pacific Northwest, as one storm moved through by Friday. At least 3 inches of snow fell in several hours on Friday morning across portions of Washington and Oregon. One location also reported pea sized hail. A prevailing onshore flow of Pacific air encountering the mountains along the coast, produced the precipitation across Washington and Oregon.
On Sunday morning, record low temperatures were set in California at Bakersfield (36 degrees) Oakland/Downtown (42 degrees) and at Winnemucca, NV (8 degrees). At Jacksonville, FL, the overnight low temperature as of Sunday morning had fallen to 36 degrees, tying the record low for the date.
WEATHER FOR STARTING THE NEW WEEK -- The storm system that brought blustery weather to the East Coast during much of Sunday remained located over the North Atlantic, while bands of rain continued to spiral into the Northeast on Sunday night. The precipitation shield extended from southern Maine westward to the Hudson Valley of New York State. Some flooding across southern Maine and New Hampshire was expected as bands of rain continued to fall across New England. The storm system is expected to move northeast toward the Maritimes by Monday morning. The precipitation should be limited mainly to northern portions of Maine.
Precipitation continued to fall across the Tennessee and lower Mississippi Valleys westward into the north Texas along a stationary front that stretched from northern Mississippi westward into the Hill Country of central Texas. This area of precipitation is expected to expand by Monday morning, spreading eastward across Tennessee and northern Alabama. Additional precipitation is also forecast for south Texas and the western Gulf Coast. While some thunderstorms may become strong across the Texas Gulf Coast, no severe thunderstorms are anticipated across the country on Monday. However, if these storms remain relatively stationary, flash flooding across the region may be a possibility.
In the Midwest, a cold front was moving eastward, trailing from southward from a low pressure system that was located in Ontario to the north of Lake Superior. This cold front ran south across Lower Michigan before curving west crossing the mid Mississippi Valley and the central Plains, terminating in a trough of low pressure along the Rockies in southern Colorado. The cold front represents more of a wind shift, as the air behind the front is of Pacific origin and is not significantly colder than in the region ahead of the front. A large ridge of high pressure was situated over the Plains and the northern Rockies. As a result, winds behind the front switched to a more westerly direction from the southerly wind direction. By Monday morning, the cold front has been forecast to move eastward, reaching the lower Lakes and the Ohio Valley. The ridge of high pressure behind the front is also expected to expand eastward.
The Pacific Northwest was beginning to feel the effects of an approaching storm system that was located several hundred miles to the west of Vancouver Island. Precipitation and strong winds were reported across western Washington State and Oregon in advance of the system. On Sunday evening, sustained south winds between 40 and 60 mph with gusts to 67 mph were measured near Tillamook along coastal Oregon. High wind warnings have been posted for coastal communities into Monday.
In addition, the storm was generating heavy ocean swell with heights in excess of 20 feet along the coast from Washington south to northern California. As a result with heavy surf advisory posted through Monday along the Washington and Oregon coasts from Cape Flattery, WA to Florence, OR and along the California coast from the Oregon line to Gualala south of Point Arena.
The cold front associated with this storm system is expected to cross the coast and push inland, reaching central Washington and Oregon by Monday morning. The precipitation shield is forecast to spread eastward across eastern Washington, the Idaho Panhandle and western Montana. Snow advisories were posted for the Olympics, and Cascades of Washington and Oregon for as much as 8 inches of snow by early Monday, and an additional 6 to 12 inches through Monday. Snow levels are expected to descend to approximately 1000 feet elevation in the north and 2500 feet farther south. Snow and blowing snow advisories were in effect for the Blue Mountains of northeast Oregon.
TEMPERATURE EXTREMES IN THE COTERMINOUS U.S. -- The lowest temperature on Sunday was 2 degrees at West Yellowstone, MT, while Sunday's highest temperature was 85 degrees at Fort Myers and Punta Gorda, FL and Lake Havasu City, AZ.
ALASKAN WEATHER -- A large ridge of high pressure over the Arctic Ocean with a center located to the north of the Chuckchi Sea was intensifying and pushing to the southeast toward Alaska on Sunday. As a result, arctic air spread over most of northern and western Alaska during the weekend, spilling southward through the passes in the Brooks Range. The cold air coupled with clear skies produced record low temperatures on Sunday morning along the North Slope, with Umiat reaching a 47 degrees below zero, Prudhoe Bay/Arco Tower 43 degrees below zero. On Sunday afternoon, the high temperature at Prudhoe Bay/Arco reached only 30 degrees below zero, which was the lowest daily high temperature for this late in winter. The southern edge of this arctic air mass was a roughly east-west oriented front that extended along the Alaska Range from a small low pressure center in the Kuskokwim Valley eastward to the Canadian border. A band of light snow fell from King Salmon to Bethel and McGrath, then northwest to Bettles. To the south of the front, sunny skies were found over Anchorage and the surrounding Susitna and Matanuska Valleys. Farther east, sunny skies in the Copper River Basin permitted temperatures to rise from near zero into the 30s by Sunday afternoon.
Winds continued along the northwest coast, producing blowing snow conditions and creating dangerous wind chill conditions. Tin City recorded gusts to 59 mph, Point Hope had gusts to 41 mph and Gambell to 40 mph. Wind-chill equivalent temperatures fell to 80 degrees below zero from the Bering Straight to Cape Lisburne. Wind advisories and wind-chill warnings were in effect for the Koyukuk, the upper Kobuk and Noatak Valleys near the Brooks Range on late Sunday.
Several areas of weak low pressure were found across the Gulf of Alaska, while a relatively strong low pressure system to the south of the Queen Charlottes produced clouds and rain across the southern Panhandle. Another storm system was approaching the far western Aleutians, with a warm front that extended eastward along the island chain. Clouds and light snow associated with this system were found at locations such as Adak, Shemya, Dutch Harbor and Cold Bay.
The lowest statewide temperature on Sunday was 44 degrees below zero at Deadhorse. The highest temperature as of midafternoon in the state was 45 degrees at Gustavus.
HAWAIIAN WEATHER -- Over the weekend strong trade winds continued together with showers across the islands as a shear line first approached the islands followed by a large ridge of high pressure that moved eastward across the central North Pacific, reaching a point some 1100 miles to the north of Hawaii on Sunday afternoon. Abundant moisture has been flowing across the state on these trade winds. As a result, showers and possible thunderstorms were expected to move across the islands on Sunday night in association with an unstable air mass, with the Big Island and Maui appearing to receive the greatest amounts of precipitation. A relatively strong pressure gradient has developed across the islands between the high pressure cell to the north of the islands and low pressure to the south. As a result, trade winds were expected to continue at speeds between 15 to 30 mph, with stronger gusts in the inter-island channels. Consequently, gale warnings for winds between 39 and 54 mph were in effect for all inter-island channels. Small craft advisories were continued for coastal waters.
BECOMING AWARE -- During this coming week of 28 March-4 April, Iowa and Michigan will conduct their Severe/Hazardous Weather Awareness 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.
THE FULL MOON, PASSOVER AND EASTER -- This coming weekend has significance for many since both Passover and Easter are celebrated. These festivals depend upon the occurrence this coming Wednesday of the first full moon following the vernal equinox. The optional Monday Supplemental Information is included for those who may be observing the holiday season this week.
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.