NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY
MARCH 2010
1st-6th…Wet
weather swept through the Southern US on Monday due to a strong low pressure
system moving through the region. The system that brought precipitation to the
Southwest finally made its way eastward and into the Plains. Flow around this
system picked up moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and triggered scattered
showers over the Southern Plains and Gulf states. In Henderson, Texas, 0.50
inches of rain were reported, while Richland, Texas reported strong winds at 25
mph with gusts up to 38 mph. As this system moved into the Gulf states, rainfall
totals remained less than a quarter of an inch. These areas also remained cool
with highs in Texas in the 40s and the Southeast remained in the 60s. In the
north, a strong low pressure system hovered just offshore of New England, which
continued to push moisture onshore from the Atlantic Ocean. Thus, overcast skies
covered the region which allowed for a few light rain and snow showers persisted
over New England and the Northeast with accumulations less than a half of an
inch. Highs remained in the 30s and 40s. In the Central US, high pressure build
over the Northern Plains and pulled cool and dry air in from the North. This
brought sunny skies to the Northern and Central Plains, which spread over the
Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes. Most areas remained in the 30s and 40s under
mostly sunny skies. In the West, another low pressure system in the Pacific
Ocean approached the West Coast. However, high pressure dominated and allowed
for a warm and sunny day over the Pacific Northwest and California.
Both
coasts saw wet and active weather on Wednesday. In the West, a cold front from
the eastern Pacific brought an unstable airmass to northern California and areas
of the Pacific Northwest today. The front pushed across the coast and move
through these regions with showers and locally heavy rainfall during the morning
hours. As the disturbance trekked further inland by the afternoon, off and on
light showers continued to spread over the coastal areas. A few isolated
thunderstorms accompanied showers behind the front this afternoon. Meanwhile,
bands of snowfall blanketed the higher elevations of northern California.
Elsewhere in the West, light, scattered, valley showers and mountain snow
developed throughout ares of the Intermountain West as a wave of low pressure
trekked through the region. In the East, a strong low pressure system off the
Mid-Atlantic coast continued to produce precipitation near the New England and
Mid-Atlantic shoreline. Wrap-around flow from this system ushered Atlantic
moisture into these regions and produced areas of light rain and snowfall
through the afternoon. As this system continued to affect the Northeast, the
Southeast saw drier and warmer weather activity today. Low relative humidity
levels and gusty winds across most of Florida created favorable conditions for
wildfire spread.
Finally, dry and tranquil weather activity persisted throughout the Central U.S.
Relatively calm weather continued throughout the country on Friday.
The
only main weather system was a low pressure system moved through the Rockies and
was on the verge of moving into the Plains. There was not a lot of moisture
wrapped up in this system, but areas of snow fell through the Central Rockies.
Winter Weather Advisories were in effect for parts of Colorado and Wyoming due
to this snow. At the same time, Red Flag Warnings were posted in southeast
Colorado due to the low humidity in that part of the state. Low humidity was
also experienced in the Southeast including Alabama, Georgia and Florida. Fire
weather was quite high in those states as Red Flag Warnings were also posted
there.
Meanwhile, a low pressure system off the West Coast brought only a few rain
showers to the immediate coast of Northern California. This low will continue to
move southward into the weekend, eventually providing precipitation to Southern
California and parts of the Southwest.
A high
pressure system stretched from the Gulf Coast through the Great Lakes and
provided dry conditions for much of the East. The Northeast rose into the 30s
and 40s, while the Southeast saw temperatures in the 50s and 60s. The Northern
Plains rose into the 20s and 30s, while the Southern Plains saw temperatures in
the 60s and 70s.
7th-13th…Low
pressure moved through the nation's midsection today and brought some active
weather with it. Strong thunderstorms raced across the Plains and caused several
areas of wind damage throughout northern Texas. Storms were expected to continue
through the afternoon and evening, with rain expected to push into the
Mississippi Valley. In addition to the wet weather associated with the Plains
low, showers and thunderstorms were reported along the Gulf coast as warm moist
air streamed northward onto land. East of the Mississippi Conditions were much
more pleasant, with warm weather and clear skies. Temperatures throughout the
Mid-Atlantic rose into the 60s, while highs in the Deep South rose into the 70s.
In the West, temperatures were cooler as a trough in the Jet Stream sagged into
the West Coast. This trough brought some scattered clouds and numerous brief
showers to the region.
The
Central and Northern High Plains saw snow on Tuesday as a low pressure system
moved off the Central Rockies. This system strengthened as it moved into the
Central Plains and away from the mountains, and low level flow around this
trough pulled moisture in from the Gulf of Mexico. The northern edge of this
system pulled cool air in from Canada and triggered snow over the High Plains.
Snowfall accumulation ranged between 1-2 inches in most areas, with up to 5
inches in western Nebraska. Highs remain near freezing over the Northern and
Central Plains. Ahead of this system, a warm front extended eastward and over
the Midwest. Due to warm air moving in from the South, this allowed for
scattered rain showers. Rainfall totals remained less than a half of an inch,
but due to this slow-moving system, many areas of the Mid- and Upper Mississippi
River Valley saw problems with flooding. In Spring Hill, Missouri, 0.24 inches
of rain was reported, while 0.35 inches fell over Hastings, Nebraska earlier in
the morning. Strong winds were reported over the Mississippi River Valley as the
low pressure system approached. Gusts reached up to 22 mph in Auburntown,
Tennessee. Meanwhile, in the West, another trough of low pressure moved over the
Great Basin and into the Central Rockies. This had light moisture associated
with it, and kicked up scattered snow over the Rockies. Most areas of Utah saw
snowfall accumulations between 2-4 inches. This system dipped into the Southwest
and with warmer temperatures, allowed for scattered showers and thunderstorms to
develop. Phoenix reported 0.12 inches of rainfall with isolated thunderstorms,
while northern Arizona saw near 2 inches of snow. In the Pacific Northwest,
another Pacific storm pushed a cold front onshore, which brought cloudy skies
and cool conditions, but has not yet triggered any significant precipitation.
Medford, Oregon saw 0.06 inches of light rain, as it is situated right on the
coast.
Several weather systems produced unsettling weather activity throughout the
nation on Wednesday. In the West, a dissipating front produced pockets of light
rain and high elevation snow from portions of central California through the
Pacific Northwest during the morning and afternoon hours. To the east, a trough
of low pressure from the Pacific continued to crank out a mix of rain and snow
across the Great Basin and portions of Arizona and New Mexico. Meanwhile to the
south, another storm system in northeastern New Mexico produced significant rain
and snow showers and gusty winds from northern New Mexico and Colorado to the
Southern and Central Plains. Elsewhere, a cold air mass remained in place over
southern California and yielded to cool daytime highs. In the Midwest, a
quasi-stationary low pressure system produced unsettling weather activity from
the Northern Plains through the Great Lakes. Wrap-around moisture from this
system combined with cold air to produce a mix of rain, snow, and ice. A warm
front associated with this system reached across Mid-Mississippi Valley through
the Mid-Atlantic and aided in producing active weather in the Southeast. A swath
of increasing rainfall and thunderstorms developed from eastern Mississippi to
South Carolina. Some thunderstorms in eastern Mississippi and Alabama ran the
risk of turning strong to severe with hail and locally damaging winds. The risk
of heavy rainfall and flash flooding throughout these states increased through
the afternoon as showers and thunderstorms became more widespread.
The
early start to the severe weather season continued on Friday, although there
were no official reports of tornadoes. Instead, a developing low pressure system
moved through the Southeast and Mississippi Valley, drawing a considerable
amount of moisture northward from the Gulf of Mexico. This moisture produced
areas of heavy rain accompanied by thunderstorms that sparked Severe
Thunderstorm Watches in the Southeast and Tennessee Valley. Large hail was
reported for these thunderstorms from Alabama through Kentucky. These
thunderstorms were expected to continue to roll through the Southeast into the
evening.
Florida also saw its share of severe thunderstorms along the peninsula of the
state. Farther to the north, a low pressure system rotated in the eastern
Plains and provided some snow showers in the Upper Midwest and scattered
precipitation in the Northeast. In the West, a strong Pacific storm slammed into
the coast and renewed significant rain and high elevation snow from Washington
through Northern California. Winter Storm Warnings were posted for the higher
elevations of California.
The
Northeast rose into the 40s and 50s, while the Southeast saw temperatures in the
60s and 70s. The Northern Plains rose into the 30s and 40s, while the Northwest
saw temperatures in the 40s and 50s.
14th-20th…Widespread
clouds covered the northeastern quadrant of the nation on Monday as a strong
nor'easter centered to the south of Long Island continued to produce wet and
windy weather across New England and portions of the nearby Mid-Atlantic coast.
Periods of heavy rainfall, damaging winds continued to pound the saturated
region through the afternoon and created local flooding issues, blowing snow,
and possible power outages. Meanwhile in the South, low pressure and an
associated cold front sparked unsettling weather activity across New Mexico and
Texas as the pair dropped southward toward northern Mexico. Areas of scattered
rain and high elevation snow fell across eastern and southern New Mexico, while
widespread showers and isolated thunderstorms developed throughout the Texas
Panhandle. In the West, a building ridge of high pressure brought warm and dry
weather conditions to most of the Pacific Northwest, Intermountain West,
California, and Arizona. Ridging over these regions allowed temperatures to warm
nicely through the afternoon with daytime values reaching near to well above
seasonal norms. The ridge also temporarily postponed wet weather across the
Pacific Northwest by keeping a Pacific frontal system offshore. In the Central
US, fair weather conditions with mild daytime temperatures developed throughout
the Midwest due to high pressure.
Showery weather continued to fall across the Southeast today, while a fairly
quiet weather pattern developed throughout the rest of the nation.
In the
East, widespread clouds covered a good portion of the Southeast throughout the
first half of the day as an area of low pressure trekked across the northern
Gulf region. The system spread light rain showers from Louisiana through Alabama
during the morning hours before reaching Georgia and northern Florida by the
afternoon. Meanwhile, the Central U.S. experienced fair weather activity due to
a large ridge of high pressure reaching across the Plains, while the Midwest,
Great Lakes, and Northeast saw another day of warm daytime highs. In the West,
tranquil weather conditions continued throughout most of the West due to a ridge
of high pressure located off the West Coast. Slight offshore flow kept daytime
temperatures throughout California above seasonal averages. Meanwhile, the
passing of a frontal disturbance and the return of brisk northerly flow produced
little change in daytime temperatures across the Pacific Northwest.
Another day of relatively mild and inactive weather occurred throughout the
country on Friday. The main weather producer was a long cold front that moved
through the middle of the country and stretched from the Southern Rockies
through the Upper Midwest. This feature did not carry much moisture along with
it, thus only a fairly narrow area of rain and snow pushed through the Central
Rockies and Central Plains. This front represented the majority of the
precipitation that fell in the country on Friday. Other than this, scattered
diminishing snow showers fell in the Intermountain West, while some morning
showers fell in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Meanwhile, a high pressure
system stretched into the Southeast and kept dry and clear conditions dominant
through the eastern third of the country. In the West, a weak low pressure
system dropped into the Great Basin, but dry conditions persisted throughout the
West.
The
Northeast rose into the 50s and 60s, while the Southeast saw temperatures in the
70s and 80s. The Northern Plains rose into the 20s and 30s, while the Northwest
saw temperatures in the 40s and 50s.
21st-27th…The
Northern Rockies had light snow on Monday, while the East Coast had light and
scattered showers. A strengthening low pressure system moved from the Pacific
Northwest and into the Northern and Central Rockies. This system had some light
moisture associated with it and triggered light snowfall over the Northern
Rockies. The Cascades, as well as the higher elevations of Idaho, Montana, and
Wyoming experienced snowfall accumulation between 1-2 inches. The Pacific
Northwest saw a few residual showers with no significant accumulation. Highs
remained in the 40s over most of the region. The rest of the West Coast remained
under sunny skies with highs in the 70s and 80s as high pressure dominated.
Elsewhere, in the East, a strong low pressure system continued spinning over the
East Coast. This system pulled moisture onshore from the Atlantic Ocean and
pushed overcast skies onshore. This system allowed for a few scattered showers
to develop over the Northeast and New England, with total accumulation less than
a tenth of an inch. Highs remained in the 40s and 50s over most of the Northeast
and New England. Behind this system saw mild weather as high pressure built over
the Central US. This allowed for mostly sunny skies, warm temperatures, and
pleasant conditions. The Midwest saw highs in the 50s and 60s, while the Central
and Southern Plains saw highs in the 70s and 80s.
The
Northeast saw another rainy day with flooding on Tuesday. A low pressure system
spinning over the Mid-Atlantic states continued to pull ample moisture onshore,
which triggered periods of heavy rain over the Northeast. Widespread scattered
showers extended over most of New England and down the Ohio River Valley.
Taunton, Massachusetts saw a midday total of 1.71 inches of rain, while 1.14
inches was reported in Berlin, New Hampshire. Albany, New York saw 0.85 inches
of rain, while most of the Ohio Valley saw less than a quarter of an inch. Highs
ranged from the mid-40s to lower 50s over the region. Meanwhile in the Rockies,
a low pressure system continued tracking southward from the Northern Rockies
into the Central Rockies. This had some light moisture associated with it, which
kicked up a few scattered snow showers over the region. Southern Wyoming and
northern Colorado reported 3-5 inches of new snow on Tuesday. A trough extended
northward from this system and moved into the Northern Plains. This was expected
to trigger light and scattered showers, but has only brought a few patchy clouds
to the region. Rain has not yet been reported. The Upper Midwest saw another day
of flooding problems, due to sunny skies and warm temperatures melting the
frozen lakes and snow over the region. Highs approached 60 in some areas of the
Upper Mississippi River Valley, while the Mid-Mississippi River Valley reached
near 70. Out West, high pressure returned to the West Coast which allowed for
mostly sunny skies and warm conditions. California saw highs in the 70s and 80s,
while the Pacific Northwest saw highs near 60.
An
intense low pressure system moved into the Lower Mississippi Valley on Thursday
and brought intense thunderstorms to the region. One of the more organized lines
of storms pushed through the Florida Panhandle and brought heavy rain and gusty
winds. Thunderstorms also developed in the Mississippi Valley along a cold front
associated with the low pressure system. These storms were expected to gain
strength throughout the afternoon, and eventually produce supercell
thunderstorms containing large hail, strong winds and possible tornadoes. More
steady rain was found to the north and east of the storm, as a stationary front
extended into the Northeast. Temperatures throughout the East were warm ahead of
the approaching storm, with highs in the 60s reaching as far north as Maine. In
the Plains, a few low clouds were noted in Montana and North Dakota while the
West saw high clouds streaming ashore as a late season storm system moved into
the Northwestern coast. The storm didn't produce a whole lot of rain but
precipitation fell all the way south into the Central Coast of California, where
the rainy season is coming to a close.
The
main weather producer was a low pressure system that began the day over the
Appalachians before moving through the Mid-Atlantic and into the Atlantic Ocean.
There was a tremendous amount of moisture associated with this storm that
produced widespread morning rain from the Appalachians through southern New
England. As the storm moved out into the ocean, precipitation quickly diminished
throughout the East. The heaviest rainfall occurred in the peninsula of Florida
and was accompanied by strong thunderstorms that acted to concentrate the
precipitation in the state. Moist flow in the Northwest continued to produce
scattered rain and high elevation snow from Northern California through the
Northwest. Additional showers fell in the Intermountain West. Strong winds blew
through the Southwest and Southern Plains. Much of New Mexico was under High
Wind Warnings due to the intensity of the wind. Southwest winds 35 to 45 mph
were common in the area. The middle of the country was dry even as a low
pressure system moved into the Plains and instigated high elevation snow in the
Central Rockies. The Northeast rose into the 20s, 30s, and 40s, while the
Southeast saw temperatures in the 70s and 80s. The Northern Plains rose into the
40s and 50s, while the Northwest saw temperatures in the 40s.
28th-31st…Widespread
clouds covered the Eastern Seaboard on Monday as a trough of low pressure
continued to support stormy weather along the East Coast through the afternoon.
A moisture packing storm over the Northeast fueled swaths of mixed precipitation
throughout New England. The heaviest mounts of precipitation soaked areas along
the New England coastline and created increased flood risks through the
afternoon. To the south, waves of low pressure located off the Mid-Atlantic
Coast continued to spark scattered rain showers and thunderstorms across the
Mid-Atlantic during the early morning. Most of the precipitation and
thunderstorms over this region moved offshore into the nearby Atlantic waters by
the afternoon. Finally to the south, heavy rainfall and strong thunderstorms
associated with a cold front over the Florida Peninsula brought severe weather
activity to southern Florida. A tornado touched down in Oakland Park, just north
of Fort Lauderdale between 8:00 and 8:30 am. While, the twister left behind
debris and property damage, no immediate injuries were reported. Behind these
storms, the flattened ridge of high pressure over the Plains began to edge into
the East on Monday. The ridge brought drier weather to the eastern valleys and
created breezy winds across areas from the Ohio Valley to the Gulf Coast States.
Winds from the northwest began to usher cooler air into the East and yielded to
lower temperatures during the afternoon. Low relative humidity levels and breezy
wind conditions translated into increased wildfire risk over the Florida
Panhandle. Meanwhile, high pressure over the Plains produced another day of warm
to hot temperatures across the Central US. Low relative humidity levels and
breezy winds created increased risks of grassland fires from the Northern High
Plains through portions of the Central Plains. Western South Dakota, eastern
Nebraska, and north-central Kansas saw extreme fire weather conditions. In the
West, a large low pressure system in the Gulf of Alaska swung a frontal boundary
toward the Pacific Northwest Coast on Monday. Moist onshore flow and energy from
this system created heavy rain and high elevation snowfall across the Pacific
Northwest. Precipitation reached southward across areas of northern California
and spread eastward across the Northern Intermountain West and the Northern
Rockies. Meanwhile, high pressure over the Four Corners kept the Central Great
Basin, the Southwest, and southern California under dry weather conditions.
Rain
associated with the complex low pressure system off the East Coast finally
weakened Tuesday. Rain that lasted in the Mid-Atlantic over the last few days
finally came to an end Tuesday morning. However, steady rain continued to pound
through the Northeast as the low pressure system moved up to the coast and
transported massive amount of Atlantic moisture across the region. 3 to 5 inches
of rain fell in Connecticut, and the Bristol and Norfolk County in Massachusetts
received 4 to 7 inches of rain Tuesday. This steady rain set a few daily maximum
rainfall records. For example, as of 2p.m., Providence of Rhode Island received
4.39 inches, which exceeded the previous record 2.57 inches. The total rainfall
on both Monday and Tuesday reached nearly 8 inches in Providence. Apart from the
steady rain, strong winds 30 to 40 mph with up to 50 mph gusts also occurred in
parts of the Northeast Tuesday afternoon. Moving to the West, unsettled and cold
weather persisted across much of the Western U.S. Tuesday as a strong system
remained in place. Coastal and valley rain with mountain snow continued to fall
from the Pacific Northwest and Northern California to Northern Rockies. In
addition, very strong winds 40 to 60 mph caused blustery conditions in higher
terrains.
Gloomy skies hung over the Northeast on Wednesday as a
weakening low pressure system remained off the New England coast. While the
heaviest rainfall across this region came to an end today, flood warnings
remained in effect for rivers and streams across the region. Some of these
rivers continued to flood as continual rises occurred across mainstream rivers
and small streams through the afternoon. The rest of the East saw clearer skies
with pleasant weather activity and unseasonably warm temperatures as high
pressure built into the region. Ridging over the region raised temperatures
across the Midwest, the eastern Valleys, the Mid-Atlantic, and the Southeast to
well above seasonal averages. Low relative humidity levels and breezy winds
raised concerns of grassland fire danger across southeastern South Dakota,
north-central Kansas and south-central Nebraska, and northwestern Iowa. Similar
conditions raised wildfire and general fire danger concerns across southern
Missouri and from Alabama through Florida. Meanwhile, active weather continued
in the West as an energetic front and waves of low pressure moved through the
western half of the nation. These disturbances dropped across the Central Great
Basin with colder temperatures, rain, and heavy mountain snowfall. Winter storm
watches and warnings remained in effect for all the higher terrain areas of this
region, while high wind watches and warnings remained in effect across Arizona
and southern California. Elsewhere, Pacific moisture spread across the West
Coast and triggered areas of light rainfall in the Pacific Northwest and
northern California. Finally dry, warm, and windy weather raised fire weather
concerns from southern Arizona through New Mexico, southeastern
Colorado,
the Texas Panhandle and western Oklahoma.
Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com
