NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

DECEMBER 2006

1st-9th...As the arctic front continues to make progress eastward, a
powerful storm formed along the front and focused heavy snow in a swath
from northern Texas to the Great Lakes. Snow is still falling in the
Great Lakes area, but some locations have already reported over a foot
in Illinois and Wisconsin with extensive blowing and drifting. The
storm and associated front also laid down a swath of sleet and freezing
rain along the boundary of snow to the west and rain and thunderstorms
to the east. Strong wind gusts, some associated with thunderstorms, but
others not, have reached as high as 60 mph from Indiana, Tennessee and
Kentucky eastward to Pennsylvania, West Virginia and Maryland. A
tornado may have touched down in southwestern Pennsylvania as a
rotating thunderstorm passed through the region. Ahead of the front,
temperatures have surged to record levels for the date from the
Virginias to Maine. Some locations have eclipsed their record high for
the date by more than 8 degrees and have surged well into the 70s.
Meanwhile, in the wake of the storm and front, it feels more like the
single digits and near zero at times, factoring in the wind and the
cold across the Plains. Strong winds buffeted portions of the northern
Rockies in the past 24 hours as a storm passed by to the north, routing
out the coldest air. Winds gusted past 70 mph in parts of Wyoming.
Winds have dropped off in Southern California, which was rocked by
90-mph gusts in some locations earlier in the week. The Pacific
Northwest continues to enjoy quiet conditions.
In the East on Monday, an area of low pressure swing quickly northward
up the East Coast, bringing rain and snow showers to coastal
Mid-Atlantic and the Northeast. 0.36 inches of rain fell at
Georgetown, Delaware, while 1.19 inches of precipitation fell at
Nantucket, Massachusetts. Most of Nantucket's precipitation was rain,
before changing to snow later this morning. Light to moderate snowfall
was reported over coastal New England this morning before dissipating
during the midday; visibility was reduced to a half-mile at Portsmouth,
New Hampshire, due to the snow. Farther west, lake-effect snow showers
wreaked havoc on parts of the Great Lakes. 14 inches of snow fell at
North Osceola, New York, while the nearby town of Pulaski reported 8
inches of snow. Another lake-effect band produced six inches of snow at
Union City, Pennsylvania. Dry conditions were otherwise reported over
the Ohio Valley and the Southeast. Over the western two-thirds of the
Nation, a weak disturbance produced snow showers over the upper
Mississippi Valley. Four inches of snow was reported at Silver Bay,
Minnesota. Farther west, another weak storm system produced light snow
showers over the northern High Plains, the northern Rockies. Dry
conditions were reported over the rest of the Mississippi Valley, the
Plains states, the Southwest, the Intermountain West, the rest of the
Rockies, and the rest of the High Plains.
In the eastern United States on Wednesday, a trough of low pressure
brought scattered snow showers to portions of Michigan and the
Northeast, but snowfall rates were light, and little to no snow fell in
the Northeast. Conditions across most of the Mid-Atlantic and the Ohio
Valley were dry with mostly cloudy skies. To the south, dry weather and
partly cloudy skies dominated the Tennessee Valley, the Carolinas, the
Southeast, and the Gulf Coast states. Across northern Florida, a few
scattered showers developed, however, little to no rainfall totals were
recorded. In the western two-thirds of the Nation, light snow showers
moved over portions of North Dakota, northern Minnesota, Nebraska, and
the northern Rockies. To the west, areas of fog were observed in parts
of the northern Rockies, Pacific Northwest, and northern and central
California. At times, visibilities were less than one-quarter mile.
Conditions in the central and southern Plains, Mississippi Valley,
central and southern Rockies, Great Basin, and the Desert Southwest
were dry with clear to partly cloudy skies.
In the East, lake effect snow showers were reported in the eastern
Great Lakes on Friday. Light snow showers continued to fall across
areas in western New York, Pennsylvania, and northern Ohio. Snow fall
totals were less then a quarter of an inch for most places. Elsewhere,
mostly cloudy skies and a few light showers were reported in southern
Florida. The rest of the region reported partly cloudy skies and dry
conditions. In the western two-thirds of nation, scattered showers were
reported in southern Texas. Generally rainfall amounts were generally
less than a quarter of an inch. In western Texas, and in parts of
southern New Mexico, scattered snow showers and sleet was reported. In
the Pacific Northwest mostly cloudy skies and light rain was reported.
Rainfall amounts were generally under a quarter of an inch. For
example, Shelton, Washington, reported 0-point-24 inches of rain.
Mostly cloudy skies were reported in northern Wisconsin, although
generally dry conditions were reported, a few light snow flurries were
observed. Mostly cloudy skies were also reported over the far northern
plains and northern Rockies. Conditions over the majority of the
Plains, Mississippi Valley, southern and central Rockies, Great Basin,
and the Desert Southwest were dry with partly cloudy skies.

10th-16th...Over the eastern two-thirds of the Nation, a cold front
associated with a developing low pressure system in the central Plains
spawned a wide line of showers and thunderstorms that stretched from
the lower Mississippi Valley to the Great Lakes on Monday. Neither
severe weather nor flash flooding was a concern with this system, and
rainfall amounts were generally on the moderate side. Rainfall amounts
were generally on the order of a quarter-inch to one inch. A locally
heavy rainfall amount of 2.71 inches was reported at Houston, Texas,
where heavy rain had been reported for much of the day today. A
burgeoning shield of rainfall began affecting the Midwest this evening
as the low-pressure system intensified. Elsewhere, some isolated rain
showers were reported over parts of Florida, but rainfall amounts were
generally on the order of less than a quarter-inch. High pressure
produced otherwise produced dry conditions over much of the East today,
and dry conditions filled in behind the front over the southern Plains
and the western two-thirds of Texas. Over the West, a strong Pacific
storm system walloped the Northwest and northern California with
locally heavy rain and mountain snow showers, as well as strong winds
today. Wind gusts of 55 to 80 miles-per-hour were reported throughout
Oregon and Washington today, including an 83 mile-per-hour gust at
Hebo, Oregon. Rainfall amounts in excess of an inch were common across
Washington, including a report of 1-point-98 inches at Quillayute,
Washington. Elsewhere, periods of snow blanketed parts of the central
and southern Rockies. 6 inches of snow was reported at Mesa, Colorado,
this afternoon. Farther south, one to three inches fell over parts of
northern New Mexico this morning, creating locally icy roads.
Otherwise, dry conditions were reported over the northern Rockies and
the northern High Plains, as well as the Desert Southwest.
In the East, rain showers moved across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and
Southeast ahead of a cold front on Wednesday. Rainfall amounts were
generally less than half an inch. Behind the front, skies were sunny
and clear across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, Appalachians, and
southern Great Lakes. Skies slowly cleared over the central Great
Lakes. Across the central region, dry conditions were reported over
most of the region. High pressure controlled the Great Plains,
Mississippi Valley, and Midwest. Skies were partly cloudy to mostly
sunny. Breezy conditions developed in the afternoon across the western
Dakotas.
In the West, rain and snow showers were reported across the northern
Rockies, Great Basin, northern California, and Pacific Northwest.
Snowfall amounts over 6 inches were measured in Idaho and Washington.
Gusty winds also occurred, with winds of 68 miles-per-hour recorded in
Bordeaux, Wyoming. Further to the south, sunny skies and dry conditions
were observed over southern California, the Desert Southwest, and
southern Rockies.
Active weather continued in the Northwest as a strong Pacific storm
moved ashore near the Puget Sound bringing heavy rain and wind gusts
over 60 mph to the region. Weather stations throughout the region
recorded over an inch and a half of rainfall by early afternoon, and
rain continued to pour down across many areas. In the Cascades, snow
fell throughout the morning hours, with scattered reports of snow
accumulations up to 7 inches, and snowfall rates of 2 inches an hour.
Rain and high elevation snow pushed inland throughout Washington and
into Idaho's Panhandle. Precipitation also spread south down the Oregon
and California coasts, where rain and light and spotty drizzle was
reported. Clouds and drizzle tapered off along California's Central
Coast, and south of Point Conception, skies became mostly sunny. The
Florida Peninsula got a decent helping of rain on Thursday as well as
the tail end of a nearly stationary front lingered through the northern
part of the state. Numerous thunderstorms rolled through Florida
throughout the day, dropping up to an inch of rain, and producing a few
areas of gusty wind. Clouds associated with the front triggering these
storms were also spread across the Southeast coast Thursday, but gave
way to mostly clear skies into the Appalachians and north into the
Mid-Atlantic. Further north, clouds entered the picture throughout the
Mid-West, Great Lakes and New England ahead of a northward moving warm
front. A few showers were reported in the western Great Lakes but more
importantly, the warm front was pushing unseasonable warmth into the
region.
A major storm slammed the Northwest coast on Friday, downing trees and
power lines with winds clocked at up to 80 mph in parts of Washington.
A 100 mph gust was registered in the Cascade Mountain range. The storm
dumped more heavy snow in the Northwest, prompting winter storm
warnings, with up to a foot of snow reported in higher elevations of
the Cascades.

Strong wind and snow accompanied the storm as it moved eastward toward
the northern Rocky mountains. High wind warnings were posted for most
of Montana as westerly winds of up to 65 mph were expected. Elsewhere,
light rain and snow were reported from the Upper Mississippi Valley
through New England. Temperatures in the Northeast rose into the 40s
and 50s, while the Southeast saw temperatures in the 60s and 70s. The
upper Midwest rose into the 30s and 40s, while the Northwest saw
temperatures in the 40s. It reached into the 60s in parts of
California.

17th-23rd...Across the East today, scattered rain showers formed along
a cold front, bringing light rainfall to the region on Monday. Rainfall
totals with this activity were generally light, with Chicago, Illinois
reporting 0.24 inches of rainfall, and Romeoville, Illinois received
0.10 inches of rain. High pressure controlled the weather pattern
across the remainder of the East, bringing mostly clear skies with dry
and fair conditions. Across the central third of the nation, the cold
front over the Ohio Valley triggered rain showers across the middle
Mississippi Valley and the central Plains. Rainfall totals with this
activity were generally less than a tenth of an inch. Light snow
showers impacted portions of western Nebraska in association with
activity over the Rockies as well, with snow accumulations generally
less than 2 inches with the activity. The northern and southern Plains
and the upper and lower Mississippi Valley remained dry with fair skies
and near normal conditions.
In the West, snow showers impacted portions of the Great Basin and the
Rockies through the overnight and morning hours. Some gusty winds were
reported with this system across northern Utah as well, with Ogden,
Utah reporting a gust of 57 mph and Bountiful, Utah reporting a gust of
55 mph. The Pacific Northwest, California, and the Desert Southwest
remained dry with fair conditions as high pressure continued to
dominate the weather pattern at those areas.
A cold storm system stalled over the Southwest and caused widespread
snow and
rain storms, as the weather cooled in the Northeast and the Southeast
stayed
warm and sunny. Rain, snow showers and freezing rain pounded a swath
from the Four Corners through the Texas and Oklahoma panhandles and
western Kansas. The stationary front produced scattered showers and
thunderstorms over the Southern Plains. In the East, temperatures
dropped to more seasonable levels, with 30s and 40s recorded. Light,
scattered snow showers fell over southern New England, and parts of the
Mid-Atlantic saw light rain. The Southeast experienced a warm and
mostly sunny day. Out West, light rain fell over northwestern
Washington. California experienced a sunny but chilly day, with
afternoon temperatures climbing into the 40s and 50s away from the
mountains.
Across the East, a strong low pressure system continued to create
showers and embedded thunderstorms across the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic,
Ohio Valley, the Great Lakes, and across northern Florida on Friday.
Rainfall totals were generally between one quarter and three quarters
of an inch. However, coastal sections of the Middle Atlantic, and
northern Florida, reported close to 2 inches of rainfall. Drier
conditions began to move into the Tennessee Valley and with only
scattered light showers reported across the Southeast, although heavier
rains were still reported along the shore of the Gulf Coast. In the
central region of the country, widespread showers with a few embedded
thunderstorms continued to move across the Great Lakes and northern
Mississippi Valley. Rainfall totals were generally less than one half
of an inch, with a few local places receiving a little over an inch of
rain. Meanwhile, the Plains and the central Mississippi Valley were
under the influence of a broad high pressure system that created dry
conditions under partly cloudy skies. In the West, a cold front pushed
across the Great Basin, creating some high elevation snow showers
across the northern Rockies, western Great Basin and the western Desert
Southwest. Snowfall accumulations were generally between 1 and 4
inches. Meanwhile, fair and dry conditions were reported across the
Pacific Northwest, California, the eastern Desert Southwest and the
southern Rockies.

24th-31st...In the East, a low pressure system moved through the Deep
South, which brought scattered showers and thunderstorms to the
Southeast, and rain showers to much of the rest of the region on
Monday. Severe thunderstorms brought tornadoes to Florida, and gusty
winds to Georgia and Florida. Rainfall amounts over 2 inches were
reported along the Atlantic coastline. Scattered rain showers moved
across the Ohio and Tennessee Valleys, Great Lakes, and Northeast.
Rainfall amounts were generally less than an inch. Across the central
region, rain showers moved through the Ozarks and Lower Mississippi
Valley throughout the day. Rainfall amounts over an inch occurred in
Arkansas. Rain changed to snow showers in the Midwest and western Great
Lakes. Any snowfall was light. Clouds moved into the northern Plains
throughout the day ahead of a system which pushed across the Rockies.
Skies were otherwise partly cloudy and dry over the central and
southern Plains and Upper Midwest. In the West, a low pressure system
pushed onshore in the Pacific Northwest. Scattered rain and higher
elevation snow showers were reported. Storm total snowfall amounts up
to 6 inches were reported in Oregon and Washington. Rain showers
continued over northern California, and heavy rainfall totals were
reported. Partly cloudy to mostly sunny skies were observed over
southern California, the Desert Southwest, Great Basin, and southern
Rockies.
In the eastern two thirds of the country on Thursday, a frontal system
brought snow and rain to the Great Lakes region. Very few sites
reported any significant snowfall, with Sand Creek, Wisconsin,
receiving 2 inches of snowfall. Rainfall amounts were also light to
moderate. Green Bay, Wisconsin, reported 0-point-23 inches of rainfall
today, while Bad Axe, Michigan reported .21 inches. This frontal system
also brought light snow showers to the northern New England area, with
no significant snowfall amounts reported. Elsewhere, the Southeast,
Lower Mississippi Valley, and Great Plains were under high pressure
with clear to partly cloudy skies. Temperatures this morning were
generally in the 30's and 40's across the northern Plains, Great Lakes
and Northeast, with 20's in Northern New England. 50's and 60's were
reported in the central and southern Plains and the Southeast, with
70's in south Texas and Florida. In the west, a powerful storm system
brought snow and other wintry weather to the Pacific Northwest and
northern Rockies. This storm dumped heavy amounts of snowfall in some
areas, especially in the high elevations. Gallatin Gateway, Montana,
reported 6 inches of snowfall, while 8 inches fell in Rocky Boy,
Montana. Rainfall also occurred in much of the Desert Southwest, with
some snowfall in the upper elevations, and in the central Rockies.
Rainfall amounts were light to moderate, with Casa Grande, Arizona
receiving .33 inches of rain, and Tucson, Arizona reporting .18 inches.
Gusty winds also took place along the West Coast. Many areas reported
25 mph sustained winds, with gusts over 40 mph. Inyokern, California
reported the highest sustained wind, at 44 mph, with gusts up to 55
miles-per-hour.
Across the eastern two-thirds of the United States on Friday, high
pressure has produced fair to partly cloudy conditions across the
Northeast, the Eastern Great Lakes region, the Ohio and Tennessee
Valleys, the Mid-Atlantic, and the majority of the Southeast. Light to
moderate snow showers have fallen over the far northern Upper
Mississippi Valley, while a wintry mix of freezing rain, rain, and snow
has affected the eastern half of the Northern Plains as well as Eastern
Wyoming and Central Colorado. Heavy snowfall over the Central High
Plains and the Central and Southern Rockies has caused the area to be
placed under a winter storm warning. Heavy rain and thunderstorms have
affected much of the Southern Plains, including Texas, the Oklahoma
Panhandle, and western Kansas, with some areas reporting over an inch
of rainfall within the hour.
In the West, the low pressure system that produced scattered showers
over the lower elevations of the Great Basin and Rockies, and moderate
snow at the higher elevations of the Rockies and eastern Great Basin,
has moved eastward, yielding fair to partly cloudy skies across the
region. Fair to cloudy skies were reported across the Pacific Northwest
and throughout California. Temperatures across the region ranged from
the single digits at the highest elevations of the Northern Rockies,
the 30's, 40's, and 50's across the Pacific Northwest and Northern
California coastline, to the 60's across Southern California.