Powerful gusts and heavy rain was on tap for parts of the West early Thursday, while the Northeast dries out and storms threaten the Plains. Cool rain and even some high elevation snow will fall from the Intermountain West through the Northern Rockies. Some flood warnings have been posted from eastern Washington through western Montana. The rain was to move into the Plains from South Dakota through Missouri. Moisture also will leak into the Southwest, instigating showers and some possible thunderstorms from the southern Sierra Nevadas through the Four Corners region. Strong winds also are anticipated for a wide swath of the West, from the Southwest through California and into the western Plains. The wind also was expected to create dangerous fire weather in the Southwest. In the East, a low pressure system moving over the panhandle of Florida from the Gulf of Mexico will trigger showers and thunderstorms for the Sunshine State. The Northeast will dry out behind a cold front, but will remain rather cool. Northeast temperatures will rise into the 40s, 50s and some 60s, while the Southeast and Southern Plains will see temperatures in the 80s, 90s, and 100s. Temperatures in the Northern Plains will rise into the 70s, while the Northwest will see temperatures in the 60s and 70s in the lower elevations. Temperatures in the Lower 48 states on Wednesday ranged from a low of 27 degrees at Grand Forks, N.D., to a high of 108 degrees at Wink, Texas. ___ On the Net: Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com |