NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

NOVEMBER 2006

1st-4th...Very cold air filtered into the northern half of the country
Wednesday. This meant afternoon temperatures only in the 20s and 30s in
the Intermountain West and Northern Plains, and into the 30s and 40s in
the Great Lakes, Central Rockies, and Upper Mississippi Valley.
Elsewhere, a cold front meandered through the East, as the northern end
moved towards the Northeast coast, while the southern end sprawled
across the Gulf Coast. After only scattered showers in the morning, the
front moved eastward and pulled a decent amount of Gulf of Mexico
moisture northward into the Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, and Lower
Mississippi Valley. This moisture instigated rain showers along with
thunderstorms. The strongest thunderstorms were found across
Mississippi and Alabama in the afternoon. This front also acted as a
boundary between the warm air in the Southeast and the cold air
stretching through the Mississippi Valley and farther northward. The
Southeast coast rose into the 70s and 80s. Aside from light morning
showers, the Northeast remained dry Wednesday. The region also saw
varying temperatures from the 40s and 50s in western New England to the
60s in the east. The West remained dry Wednesday aside from some very
light rain showers in Northern California early in the morning. The
Northwest rose into the 40s and 50s, while California saw high
temperatures. The Southwest rose into the 60s and 70s.
The first fairly major Pacific storm of the season moved into the
Northwest on Friday, dumping steady rain and high-elevation snow. A few
showers pushed into Idaho and western Montana but diminished by the
afternoon. The eastern third of the country was dry and mostly clear,
though some light lake-effect snow fell in western New England.
Afternoon temperatures were in only the 30s and 40s from the Northern
Plains through the Northeast.

5th-11th...Heavy rain pounded the Pacific Northwest on Tuesday, causing
severe flooding in parts of Washington and Oregon. Scattered showers
and isolated thunderstorms fell in the southern states, with areas of
heavy rain in the Mid-Atlantic. Light to moderate rain also fell over
the Ohio and Tennessee Valley all day. The eastern Great Lakes and
southern New England saw rain developing by evening. It was warm and
dry in the southwestern U.S., with temperatures reaching the 90s in
some parts, and in the Great Plains, where temperatures ranged in the
70s and 80s.
An area of low pressure riding along the Northeast coast on Wednesday
and produced a soggy day across the region Wednesday. As the low pulled
in rich moisture from the Atlantic Ocean, 1 to 4 inches of rain poured
down from the Delmarva to New England; a few locales received even
higher amounts. Not only was a new daily rainfall record set at Islip,
New York, but the deluge of rain
caused flooding throughout New Jersey. In addition to the heavy rain,
gusty winds blowing around the low roughed up seas off the mid-Atlantic
coast. Before the rain soaked the Northeast, the wet weather pushed
through the Carolinas and
Virginias Tuesday and Tuesday night. Drier weather returned to these
areas Wednesday; however, the presence of an upper-level low pressure
center kept the region unsettled as clouds and spotty showers and
thunderstorms persisted. To the west, the storm system that delivered
the flooding rain to the Northwest earlier in the week shifted farther
southward and eastward Wednesday. Farther away from the Pacific, the
system lost a good deal of its abundant moisture; however, a bit of
rain still wet some areas from the Upper Midwest to the northern
Rockies and into central California. In the wake of this system, the
Pacific Northwest could not enjoy rain-free weather as yet another
system, weaker than the recent storm, arrived with some rain late in
the day. The rain fell so heavily near Roseburg, Oregon, that
visibility was reduced to a quarter of a mile on Interstate 5. In
between the wet weather, a large ridge of high pressure brought
unseasonably and record-breaking warmth to the Desert Southwest and the
country's midsection. Several high temperatures went in the record
books; some places even recorded their all-time record high for the
month of November. When the temperature hit 80F in Denver, Colorado,
not only was a new daily record high set, but it also marked the first
time ever that the Mile High City has recorded an 80-degree temperature
reading in the month of November.
In the East, areas of patchy morning fog began to dissipate across the
Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, as well as the Deep South and Florida on
Friday. A broad area of high pressure centered over the Mid-Atlantic
allowed for fair and dry conditions across the rest of the eastern
portion of the country. In the central portion of the country, a broad
area of snowfall was located across the western Great Lakes and
northern Mississippi Valley. Some moderate accumulations were reported,
along with some breezy conditions. Curlew, Iowa, reported eight inches
of snowfall and Manchester, Minnesota, reported nine inches. To the
south of the snowfall, portions of Iowa reported scattered showers and
thunderstorms, with a few reports of hail greater than three-quarters
of an inch. Areas of patchy fog were dissipating across the southern
Mississippi Valley. The southern Plains were under the influence of
mostly cloudy, but dry, conditions. In the West, a Pacific storm system
moved closer to the Pacific Northwest and created some spotty showers
across the Pacific Northwest. Generally light accumulations of rain
were reported. Areas of fog were reported across the northern and
central Rockies, as well as the southern California coast. However, a
broad area of high pressure centered over the Great Basin created fair
and dry conditions across much of the western portion of the country.

12th-18th...A strong storm caused wintry weather in the West, while
rain kept things gloomy from the middle of the country to the
Northeast. In the West, snow accumulation reached up to a foot in the
Northern Rockies and High Plains, while up to 8 inches fell in the
Cascades and Sierras. In western Washington, moderate to heavy rain
pounded through the region and caused flooding conditions.
Light to moderate rain fell across the Mississippi, Ohio and Tennessee
Valleys,
and the western Great Lakes had a mix of snow and rain showers. In the
East,
rain showers fell in New England and the Mid-Atlantic. Highs reached
the 70s and 80s in the extreme South, while the Upper Midwest and
western Great Lakes had temperatures in the 30s and lower 40s. Highs
for the Northeast and Northwest were in the 40s and 50s.
Two major storm systems pounded through the separate coasts on Tuesday.
In addition, moist south winds triggered scattered precipitation
across the central U.S. Out West, the large Pacific storm system that
covered much of the West continued its eastward movement on Tuesday and
carried a cold front southward through the southern two-thirds of the
West. Rain and mountain snow persisted through Tuesday morning across
the Great Basin, Rockies as well as northern and central California.
Some heavy snow fell over the Central Rockies, especially along the
west side of the slopes. Around midday, the system pushed into the
Plains and caused light snow to develop over the northern and central
Plains.
Meanwhile, a ridge of high pressure built after the cold front across
the Pacific Northwest and Northern California. This resulted in
decreasing precipitation across the region in the morning and skies
cleared out by noon.
In the East, the low pressure system off the New Jersey Coast early
Tuesday moved northward into the New England Tuesday afternoon . It
produced widespread cloudiness across the Great Lakes and Northeast all
day. Moreover, light to moderate rain developed across the Northeast
with the heaviest along the southern coast.
Finally, in the mid-section of the nation, scattered showers and
thunderstorms developed across the lower and mid-Mississippi Valley on
Tuesday. Some strong storms fired up over southern Louisiana and
Mississippi in the afternoon and early evening.
In the East, a potent low pressure system generated scattered showers
and thunderstorms across the lower Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, Gulf
Coast states, and portions of the Southeast on Wednesday. Through the
midday hours, multiple severe thunderstorm and tornado warnings were
issued for parts of Mississippi and Alabama. In addition, rainfall in
excess of two to three inches was reported in many areas. In fact,
several locations across Mississippi and Alabama reported rainfall
amounts in excess of three inches. To the north, areas of patchy fog
gave way to partial sunshine across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and
into the coastal Carolinas. In the central third of the Nation,
scattered showers and thunderstorms spread across Oklahoma and the
southern half of the Mississippi Valley. Locally heavy rainfall led to
the issuance of several flash flood warnings for portions of Arkansas
and Louisiana. To the north, winds gusting to 60 mph were reported
across Oklahoma. Elsewhere, a few light snow showers were observed in
portions of eastern South Dakota and eastern Nebraska. In addition, a
few areas of patchy fog were reported in the Midwest and the western
Great Lakes. Conditions in the majority of Texas and the western
Dakotas were dry with clear to partly cloudy skies. In the West,
scattered showers and a few mountain snow showers moved over portions
of the Pacific Northwest and the northern Rockies in response to a low
pressure system off the Canadian Pacific Coast. Rainfall amounts in
these areas were generally less than .50 of an inch. To the south,
areas of patchy fog limited visibilities in portions of interior and
coastal California. Conditions in the central and southern Rockies,
Great Basin, and the Desert Southwest were dry with clear to partly
cloudy skies.
A storm system that brought severe weather to the East the last few
days finally made its exit from the Northeast into southeast Canada
Friday, but not before it brought additional heavy rain to northern New
England. This heavy rain fell ahead of the cold front as it moved
northeast through the region. Flood Warnings and Flood Watches remained
in affect for many streams and rivers in Maine due to more moderate to
heavy rain. By late afternoon, the storm had sufficiently moved into
Canada to allow precipitation to end in the Northeast. Meanwhile,
breezy conditions continued through New England due to the storm. As
one might expect, somewhat cool temperatures engulfed the Great Lakes
and parts of the Northeast. Temperatures in the 30s and 40s were
widespread in the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, while 40s, 50s, and
some 60s were experienced in the Northeast. The rest of the country
remained mostly dry even as a weak cold front moved through the Rockies
and Great Basin. Scattered clouds were noticed over the Rockies and
Northwest, and temperatures rose into the 40s and 50s for these
regions. The Southwest and Southern Plains were considerably warmer
with temperatures in the 60s, 70s, and some 80s.

19th-25th...In the East, a low pressure system off the Carolina Coast
produced scattered showers and isolated thundershowers in that area as
well as portions of the Southeast and the Tennessee Valley. No severe
weather was reported, and precipitation amounts were less than one
quarter inch. Elsewhere, mostly cloudy skies and dry conditions
dominated the majority of the Northeast, Great Lakes, Ohio Valley, and
the Appalachians. In the western two-thirds of the nation, a storm
system produced mostly cloudy skies and widely scattered showers across
portions of the Pacific Northwest, northern California, and the
northern Rockies. Precipitation amounts remained under .50 of an inch
in most places. To the south, dense fog remained in interior
California. Conditions in the Desert Southwest, southern Rockies,
Plains, Midwest, and the Mississippi Valley were dry with clear to
partly cloudy skies.
Heavy rains pounded parts of the Mid-Atlantic states on Wednesday,
while some areas higher up in the Appalachians had light snow. As the
storms pushed northward, they brought rain to parts of southern and
western New England.
Wet weather persisted in the Northwest, with a steady stream of cool
showers falling in western Washington and Oregon and scattered showers
peppering northern Idaho. Snow advisories were in effect for portions
of the northern Rockies and Cascades. Meanwhile, dry conditions
dominated the Southwest, southern Rockies, Plains and Mississippi
Valley. Temperatures were in the 30s and 40s in New England and ranged
from the 40s to 60s in the Southeast. North Dakota and Minnesota saw
temperatures in the 50s, while the Southern Plains had temperatures in
the 70s. The Northwest and Intermountain West rose into the 30s.
Pounding surf and coastal flooding continued to batter the East Coast
on Thanksgiving day as a powerful nor'easter drifted northward off the
shoreline.
The storm has been soaking the eastern Seaboard since Monday night,
when strong winds picked up along the Southeastern Coast. The storm sat
there until Wednesday night when it began to slowly move to the north
and east, raising tides along the oceanfront and in the bays. On
Thursday afternoon, tide gauges from Kings Point, NY to Money Point, VA
were reporting tides high enough to merit high water advisories. In the
Chesapeake Bay, tides were only just beginning to subside as winds
turned offshore, helping push water out past the Chesapeake Bay Bridge
Tunnel. In New England, storm winds were still on the rise Thursday
afternoon. At Boston's Logan International Airport, winds were gusting
to nearly 35 mph and were expected to continue to increase. Heavy rain
was also becoming problematic throughout the Northeast, this
Thanksgiving, with storm total rainfall accumulations well over 2
inches in many locations. A Pacific storm also continued to move ashore
in the Northwest on Thursday, bringing heavy rain and some high
elevation snow to Washington and Oregon. Clouds from this system spread
east into the Northern Plains, and from there a cold front created a
few clouds that dropped into the Four Corners states and Southern
California. Despite these few high clouds, The Weather in California
was gorgeous on Thursday with cool and crisp temperatures for most of
the state, and nearly cloudless skies for the state with the exception
of Extreme southern California.

In the Northeast, skies finally cleared out on Friday after a couple of
rainy days. This was due to the low pressure system off the New
England's coast departed the region early Friday. The persistent rain
across the southern New England decreased rapidly and by day break,
rain completely ceased. Out West, the low pressure system that pushed
onshore on Thursday continued its eastward movement and brought coastal
rain showers and mountain snow from the Pacific Northwest through the
northern Great Basin, Rockies and Plains. Since this system only has
limited moisture to work with, much of the precipitation remained on
the light side. Only parts of the coastal ranges received periods of
heavy rain. Quiet the opposite, the rest of the West was dominated by a
ridge of high pressure and partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies
prevailed across the region. A very cold pool of air surged southward
into the Northern Rockies and Plains and caused temperatures dropping
into 10s and 20s in the afternoon. On the other hand, from the Great
Plains to the Eastern Seaboard, it was a beautiful late autumn day.
Away from the northern states, afternoon temperatures rose into the 60s
and 70s with southern Texas soaring into the 80s.

26th-30th...In the East, high pressure dominated the weather pattern,
producing partly cloudy and generally dry conditions for the Southeast,
with some scattered showers. Rainfall amounts were minimal. A frontal
system brought showers and thunderstorms to the Central Plains and
Midwest, with some severe weather reported. 1.33 inches of rain fell in
Lamoni, Iowa, while Enid, Oklahoma reported 0.77 inches. Scattered snow
showers fell in the Northern Plains. Little to no snowfall accumulation
was reported. Temperatures today were in the 50s and 60s in the Great
Lakes and Northeast, reaching into the upper 60s and 70s across the
southeast. Highs barely reached the 30s and 40s across the Northern
Plains and western Great Lakes, but reached the 60s and 70s in the
Southern Plains.
In the West, a low pressure system brought rain and mountain snow
showers to the Intermountain West. Rainfall amounts were light to
moderate. Heavy snow was reported in some areas, and thundersnow was
reported in the Great Basin. 12 inches of snow was reported in Valley,
Idaho, while Clallam, Washington received 8 inches. Lighter amounts
were reported elsewhere. Highs were in the 20s and 30s in the Pacific
Northwest, in the 40s and 50s across the Rockies and Southern
California, reaching the 60s in the Desert Southwest.