NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

 

NOVEMBER 2009

 

1^st-7^th…A few small disturbances kicked up multiple areas of active weather over the US on Monday. A low pressure system in Eastern Canada produced a cold front that swept through the Great Lakes and extended down the Mississippi River Valley. However, strong moist flow was not present to feed moisture into system, thus, only a few scattered showers popped over the Great Lakes region. Less than a quarter of an inch of rain fell over Grand Rapids, Michigan, while mostly cloudy skies spread over most of New England and the Northeast as the front approached from the west. Highs over New England remained in the mid-50s, while the northern areas saw highs in the mid- to upper 40s. The front did not kick up any precipitation on the southern edge of this front, and the area remained mostly sunny with highs near 70. In the Southeast, a lingering front hovered over Florida and brought patchy clouds to the state, but has not yet triggered any rain showers. Behind this front in the Plains, a strong ridge of high pressure built in and brought mostly sunny skies with warm daytime temperatures and cool overnight lows. Strong winds accompanied this system as strong flow from the northwest poured over the Plains. The Northern Plains reached into the 50s, with 24 mph winds and gusts up to 47 mph were reported in Champlin, Minnesota. The Southern Plains remained warm and dry with highs near 80. Out West saw relatively dry weather as a trough of low pressure lingered off shore of the Pacific Northwest and higher pressure hovered over the West Coast. Thus, the region saw mostly sunny skies with highs near 50 and California saw plenty of sunshine with highs in the 70s and 80s.

Chilly temperatures and pockets of wet weather developed in the northeastern portion of the nation of Wednesday as a weakening low pressure system moved through the Ohio Valley. Flow around this system swept across the Great Lakes to produce a few areas of light rainfall in northern Michigan and southwestern New York. Blustery air from the North also streamed into the region and created a chance for light snowfall development through the remainder of the day. Meanwhile, a warm front associated with this system sparked scattered showers in West Virginia as it became curled across Kentucky and the central Appalachians by the afternoon. The system's dry cold front produced no significant weather activity as it swept though the Mid-Mississippi Valley and the Southern Plains. To the South, dry and fair weather conditions with mostly sunny skies and warm temperatures persisted in the Southeast as high pressure lingered near the Gulf Coast. Prolonged low relative humidity levels and breezy winds across the Florida Panhandle and the Big Bend created a risk of fire danger throughout the latter half of the day. In the West, high pressure along the West Coast trekked further inland on Wednesday and became ridged over much of the Intermountain West. Ridging over the region translated into warm daytime temperatures and dry weather conditions throughout the afternoon. As the system exited the Coast, low pressure in the eastern Pacific brought increasing clouds and cooler temperatures to the coastal areas of California and the Pacific Northwest.

The strongest weather system in the country moved into the Northwest as a cold front that ushered in considerable Pacific moisture into Washington and Oregon. This moisture produced light to moderate rain in the morning, but this precipitation quickly diminished as the front moved inland and the day progressed. This area of precipitation represented the only notable precipitation in the country. Meanwhile, a large high pressure system dominated the eastern third of the country and kept conditions dry. Cool conditions were noted in the Northeast, while mild weather encompassed the Southeast. In the middle of the country, dry conditions were noted in the Plains. Some breezy conditions also developed from northern Texas through southern Wisconsin. Another area of windy conditions were noted in Montana and Wyoming. The Northeast rose into the 30s and 40s, while the Southeast saw temperatures in the 60s and 70s. The Northern Plains rose into the 60s and 70s, while the Southwest saw temperatures in the 70s and 80s. The Northwest rose into the 40s and 50s.

 

8^th-14^th…Tropical Storm Ida has not yet made landfall over the Southeastern states and was located 115 miles south-southeast of the mouth of the Mississippi River on Monday. Ida has decreased to tropical storm strength as it moved over the cooler waters of the northern Gulf of Mexico. Counter-clockwise flow around this system pushed abundant moisture over the Gulf states, and initiated scattered showers accompanied by strong winds on Monday morning. The region has seen light rain thus far with 0.09 inches reported in Crestview, Florida and 22 mph winds with gusts up to 29 mph in Mobile, Alabama. Cloudy skies and strong winds allowed for cool conditions along the Gulf with highs only reaching into the upper 60s. The Mid-Atlantic states and up the East Coast saw clouds move in from the south, but rainfall has not yet been reported. To the north high pressure continued to build over the Plains and East Coast on Monday. This allowed for mild weather with dry conditions aloft. The system created a weak cold front that extended from the Great Lakes and into the Central Plains. Only a few clouds popped up along this frontal boundary and rain has not yet been reported. Sunny skies allowed for the Northern Plains and upper Midwest to reach into the upper 50s, while south of this front remained in the 70s in the Southern Plains. Out West, another trough of low pressure off the coast of the Pacific Northwest pushed a cold front over the region. The system had sufficient moisture to trigger wet weather with 0.52 inches of rain already reported over Auro, Oregon. Strong winds were also associated with this system with gusts up to 36 mph in Kelso, Washington. Most of the West Coast saw cool temperatures with highs in the Northwest remaining in the lower 50s, while California saw highs in the 50s and 60s.

Wet and stormy weather persisted in the Mid-Atlantic states as the remnant low pressure system of Ida became positioned along the Carolina Coast on Wednesday. The system continued to pulled moisture from the Atlantic Ocean into the Mid-Atlantic states, producing persistent showers, areas of heavy rainfall, and thunderstorms through the afternoon. Prolonged and heavy rainfall caused areas of excessive runoff and flooding near small streams and creeks, as well as ponding in urban areas. Damaging onshore winds of 15 to 25 mph with gusts near 35 mph accompanied unsettled weather activity and ushered cooler conditions into the Mid-Atlantic. Meanwhile, the Southeast states began to see drier weather conditions as the system exited to the coast. To the north, the Great Lakes and Northeast saw fairly tranquil and warm weather conditions as high pressure remained poised over the Great Lakes. In the West, cool temperatures and gloomy skies developed throughout the Pacific Northwest on Wednesday as low pressure pushed inland. Moist, onshore flow streamed into the region and sparked areas of light, scattered rainfall near the Pacific Northwest coast and northern California, as well as snow showers in the Cascades and the Northern Rockies. Cooler daytime temperatures also developed across much of California and the Central Great Basin, while low-level clouds remained along the remainder of the West Coast.

The major weather story in the country continued to be a powerful low pressure system off the eastern seaboard that was associated with the remnants of Tropical Storm Ida. While it did not produce as much precipitation as it moved northeastward along the coast of New England, it did produced heavy wind in the area once again. This Nor'easter storm continued to produce high surf in coastal locations. There were Flood Warnings posted in the Mid-Atlantic due to the effects of this storm.

Meanwhile, a developing low pressure system began to intensify over the Rockies where it will produce winter conditions in the weekend. In prelude to this active weather, areas of scattered rain and high elevation snow were noted in Colorado and into the Plains. Also, a front meandered through the Plains and Upper Midwest and produced another area of scattered rain in this area. A Pacific front moved into the Northwest, allowing some scattered rain and snow to move into Washington and Oregon. The rest of the West remained dry. The Intermountain West could only manage to rise into the 30s and 40s, while the Northeast saw temperatures in the 40s and 50s. The Southern Plains rose into the 60s and 70s, while the Southwest saw temperatures in the 50s, 60s, and 70s.

A fairly active area of weather developed in the mid-section of the nation as a storm system progressed eastward toward the Mid-Mississippi Valley today. A strong frontal boundary associated with this system interacted with moisture from the Gulf of Mexico to produce significant precipitation from areas of the Louisiana coast through the Ohio Valley, and across the Central Plains and the Mid-Mississippi Valley. The majority of this unsettling weather activity developed in the form of light to moderate rainfall with isolated thunderstorms. Persistent rainfall in these regions created local flood risks near streams and rivers. Bands of light to moderate snowfall joined the mix of active weather in eastern Kansas and Iowa. Prolonged periods of snowfall created slick roads, lowered visibilities, and other travel difficulties through the afternoon. A Winter Storm Warning remained in effect in areas of northeastern Kansas, while much of eastern Kansas and northwestern Missouri remained under a Winter Weather Advisory. Meanwhile, dry and quiet weather lingered over the eastern third of the nation as high pressure remained the dominant weather feature of the region. Out West, low to mid-level clouds continued to spread into the Pacific Northwest today as the one of several dynamic disturbances approached the Pacific Northwest coast. Strong onshore winds ushered abundant moisture into the region, translating into areas of light to moderate rainfall and heavy precipitation in Olympics and north Cascades. Elsewhere, mostly clear and dry weather conditions developed throughout California and much of the Central Great Basin due to high pressure. Morning temperatures across these regions stayed on the cool side due to overnight cooling. By the afternoon, daytime temperatures recovered and warmed nicely to near seasonal values. Healthy offshore winds associated with this system brought strong, breezy winds to southern California and aided in the warm-up across the region.

Cloudy skies and areas of active weather covered much of the eastern regions of the nation today as a fairly strong, closed low sat over the Mid-Mississippi Valley. High pressure building in the western Atlantic kept the system nearly stagnant through much of the day. While gulf moisture interacted with the lingering low to produce another round of light to moderate scattered rain showers in Missouri and Illinois, more significant precipitation developed in advance of an attached occluded front that curled through the Eastern Valleys and into the Southeast. Moisture advection and energy associated with this front yielded areas of light to heavy drizzle and scattered showers from southern Wisconsin and central Illinois to the central Mid-Atlantic. Out West, the majority of the Northwest saw fairly dry and serene weather conditions through the morning and early afternoon hours as a disturbance from a trough of low pressure in the North Pacific Ocean trekked through the region. The next in a serious of powerful disturbances from this trough became positioned just offshore of British Columbia and Washington by the afternoon. This disturbance is forecast to move into the Pacific Northwest late this afternoon, returning mixed precipitation and strong winds to this region.

Elsewhere, the central regions of the nation remained under quiet weather conditions.

There were a couple of active weather areas in the country on Friday. The first area was due to a low pressure system and associated front in the Southern Plains that allowed deep moisture to pour into Texas and Louisiana. This resulted in moderate to heavy rain in eastern Texas that gradually diminished into the late afternoon. The second area of active weather was due to a front that pushed through the Northeast in the morning, allowing a fairly concentrated area of precipitation to move through New England. This precipitation moved through New England and into eastern Canada by late in the afternoon as well. The third active weather area involved a Pacific cold front that slammed into the Northwest and California. This was a fast-moving front that provided a quick shot of rain in the lower elevations and snow in the higher altitudes. Several inches of snow was expected to fall in the Sierra Nevada mountain range by the time this event was over. In addition, strong wind was anticipated in the Central Valley, especially as the front passes. The rest of the country was under the influence of high pressure that provided dry conditions. The Northeast rose into the 40s and 50s, while the Southeast saw temperatures in the 60s and 70s. The Upper Midwest rose into the 40s and 50s, while the Northwest saw similar temperatures.

 

22^nd-30^th…A weak front continued to kick up light precipitation over the Central and Northern Plains, while a trough of low pressure in the South triggered light coastal showers. A low pressure system moved into the Central Plains from the Rockies and created a cold front that extended from northern Minnesota, over the eastern Dakotas, and into Nebraska and Kansas. This brought light and scattered showers to the North, while cool air poured in along the back side of this system and produced light snowfall. No significant snowfall has been reported over Nebraska and Kansas, and only 0.10 inches of rain fell over Duluth, MN. Highs ahead of this system reached into the mid-40s, while behind this system in the Central Plains, highs remained in the mid-30s. Strong winds also accompanied this front with 31 mph gusts reported in Goodland, Kansas.

To the east, a small trough of low pressure hovered along the coast of the Mid-Atlantic states. Fed with ample moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, this produced light and scattered showers. Rainfall totals remained less than a tenth of an inch along the coasts of the Carolinas and Virginias. This trough allowed for overcast skies over the Mississippi and Ohio Valleys, but precipitation has not yet been triggered. In the West, high pressure hovered over the West Coast and Rockies, which allowed for mostly sunny skies and mild weather. However, in the Pacific Northwest, another front pushed onshore and initiated light and scattered showers over northwestern Washington. In Shelton, Washington, 0.22 inches of rain have been reported and the system has also pushed cloudy conditions well into Oregon. Highs remained in the mid-40s over the region, while most of northern California remained in the mid-50s.

The nation experienced a mixed bag of weather on Wednesday as the West basked in the warm glow of late autumn sun, while in the East, a low pressure system and a series of fronts brought clouds and gloomy weather to the area. Low pressure over the Great Lakes region shadowed much of the Mid-West with clouds, and produced some precipitation over Illinois and the surrounding areas. A front extended southeast from the storm, and that also triggered wet weather across New York and Pennsylvania. Temperatures in the region were relatively warm, with highs in the 50s generally, so snow was of little concern. Another front was present over the Eastern Seaboard, and brought rain to the coast from Virginia Beach south to Florida. Southern Florida saw a line of intense thunderstorms roll through with rain rates of over an inch per hour. In the West, most locations saw clear skies and above normal temperatures, but a Pacific front moved into the Northwest and brought clouds and a bit of heavy rain to the region. Rain was limited to the Olympic Peninsula for the most part, but a few showers made it into the Olypia/Tacoma region. In California, temperatures soared into the upper 60s and 70s with some locations reaching into the 80s in Southern California.

There were two areas of post-Thanksgiving active weather in the country on Friday. First, a trough of low pressure swept through the Northeast and produced widespread precipitation in New England. This precipitation was mainly confined to northern New England but significant wind pressed through the rest of the area. Wind advisories were in effect for much of New England. Second, a Pacific cold front tracked through the Northwest and California, allowing areas of rain and high elevation snow to fall as far south as the San Francisco Bay Area. In addition, scattered rain and snow showers fell in the late morning in the western Plains. A high pressure system over the Gulf Coast provided dry conditions from the Southern Plains through the Southeast. A weak front in the Northern Plains did not instigate any notable precipitation in the area. The Northeast rose into the 30s and 40s, while the Great Lakes saw temperatures in the 30s. The Southern Plains rose into the 60s and 70s. The Northwest rose into the 30s and 40s.

The East Coast experienced wet and dreary weather on Monday as a strong cold front swept through the Eastern US. A low pressure system in the Northeast created a cold front that stretched over New England, down the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, and into the Gulf states. Ahead of this system, scattered showers developed as gulf moisture poured in from the south, while cool and dry air advected in behind this front. This quickly dried out the Mississippi River Valley and Plains, while wet conditions persisted out East. In the north, cooler temperatures allowed for light and scattered snow in some areas, with lake effect snow on the eastern shores of the Great Lakes. No significant snowfall has been reported yet, while 0.26 inches of rain was reported in Burlington, New York. Heavier rain and strong winds were reported in the South, with 0.74 inches of rain and gusts up to 25 mph in Knoxville, TN. Behind this front in the Plains, high pressure built in and brought dry air with it. This allowed for mostly sunny skies over the region, with the North reaching into the 40s, while the Southern Plains remained in the 50s. However, a storm quickly approached from the Southwest. A system hovering over northern Mexico moved into New Mexico on Monday and kicked up scattered showers. In Las Cruces, New Mexico, 0.21 inches of light rain has been reported. Elsewhere in the West, high pressure started to build in and brought warm and pleasant conditions with mostly sunny skies.

 

Jim G. Munley, jr.
http://www.jimmunleywx.com