NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

NOVEMBER 2009

1st-7th…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.

8th-14th…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.

22nd-30th…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.