NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

DECEMBER 2005

1st-10th...Heavy rain fell in parts of Southern California on Friday,
with areas
north of Los Angeles seeing up to an inch. A cold wind blew light snow
from the Great Lakes into northern New Jersey. The Upper Midwest also
got a dusting of snow. A high pressure system over Tennessee produced
mostly clear skies in the
Southeast. A warm front over the northern Gulf of Mexico brought clouds
to coastal Texas and Louisiana.
Severe thunderstorms in the Southeast spawned tornadoes Monday, while
snow, some of it heavy, fell in the mid-Atlantic, the Plains and the
Rockies. Several tornadoes swept through parts of the Florida Panhandle
and southern Georgia as showers and thunderstorms fired up along a cold
front. Moderate to heavy snow fell over parts of the mid-Atlantic. Icy
conditions were reported in eastern Virginia. Light to moderate snow
fell over Minnesota and Wisconsin. A weak front produced light snow
from the northern Rockies into the Plains. Skies were partly cloudy
over the much of the Southwest and southern Plains.
In the East, lake-effect snowfall developed in Michigan, New York,
Ohio, and Pennsylvania on Wednesday. Isolated light snow was also
reported in Vermont, New Hampshire, and Massachusetts. Rome, New York
received over 9 inches of snow, with over one foot of snow falling in
Glenmore, New York. Skies were variably cloudy across the Mid-Atlantic
and Ohio Valley regions, with scattered rain showers across the
Southeast and lower Mississippi River Valley. Rainfall amounts were
generally under one half-inch. Across the central region, scattered
snow showers developed over areas of the central Plains and Midwest.
Periods of heavy snow fell in Emporia, Kansas. Over 3 inches of
snowfall was recorded in Roeland Park, Kansas, while northern Kansas
City, Missouri received 2 inches of snow. 4 inches of snow fell in
Cottonwood Falls, Kansas. A mixture of sleet, freezing rain, rain and
snow developed in eastern Oklahoma and northern Texas. Dallas, Texas
received light freezing rain early in the afternoon hours, and icy
roads contributed to over 50 automobile accidents in the area.
Temperatures remained well-below normal over the region, with high
temperatures in the single digits and teens from the Canadian border
southward into Oklahoma and northern Texas. Skies were mostly clear
across the northern Plains, with lake-effect snow developing along the
Lake Superior shoreline. In the West, a low pressure system pushed
onshore near southern Oregon, bringing rain showers and mountain
snowfall to the Pacific Northwest and the northern half of California.
0.66 inches of rain was reported in Arcata, California, with the
remainder of the region reporting rainfall amounts under one half-inch.
Snowfall was also reported in Colorado and New Mexico, with 5 inches of
snow in Angel Fire, New Mexico. Across the northern and central
Rockies, Great Basin, and Desert Southwest, skies were partly cloudy to
mostly clear with high pressure in control of the region.
A snow storm dumped more than a foot of snow in parts of New England on
Friday and pelted other parts of the Northwest with a mix of sleet and
rain. Rhode Island recorded up to 14 inches of snow, and 6 inches fell
in New York City.
It was warm but cloudy over the Gulf States, and a band of showers
moved across northern Florida. Much of the Midwest saw a warm-up after
days of bitter temperatures and heavy snow. In the West, skies were
mostly clear. The Northwest was cool but dry.

11th-17th...Light snow fell Monday from the Mississippi Valley through
the Great Lakes, Ohio Valley and the Northeast as two pockets of cold
air locked over the nation. In the West, strong high pressure that has
dominated the region for several days finally broke up, as another
system dropped southeastward from western Canada. Fog hovered over the
northern Great Basin and Rockies as well as parts of the Pacific Coast.
Light rain developed over extreme northwestern
Washington. A large area of high clouds associated with the jet stream
moved across the Southwest and the South.
Snow showers extended Wednesday from the northern Plains through the
Great Lakes, while thunderstorms rolled from coastal Texas through
Louisiana. The thunderstorms, some with hail, pushed into Louisiana as
low pressure developed over the western Gulf of Mexico. Showers also
moved through the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys. Some heavy snow
was reported in the upper Midwest. Skies were partly to mostly sunny
across the West, northern New England and parts of the
Southeast. Frigid temperatures in the 10s and 20s settled in New
England and parts of the Rockies and northern Plains.
Damaging freezing rain moved into North Carolina and Virginia on
Thursday, with snow farther north. Mostly clear skies prevailed in the
West. Low pressure moving out of the Mississippi Valley spread a wintry
mix of rain, freezing rain and snow in much of the East. In some areas,
trees buckled from the ice's weight. Snow blanketed parts of the
northern Plains through Michigan and Minnesota. Clouds dotted the
Southwest, but the region stayed dry. Similar
conditions prevailed in the northern Rockies. The West saw mostly clear
skies, though dense fog lingered in some inland valleys of California.
All that remains of a winter storm that has been plaguing the east the
last few days are some lingering rain snow and sleet throughout Maine
on Frisay. Snowfall moved through New England this morning and had
tapered off by midday. some areas in the Adirondaks of Upstate New York
up to 11 inches of snow was reported. Lingering snow showers were also
being felt through Western New York and Pennsylvania. In the Southeast
skies were mainly clear and temperatures were seasonably warm, similar
conditions were experienced through the Southwest. In California, clear
skies were seen throughout the state, though the San Francisco Bay Area
and the Central Valley were experiencing some dense fog that was having
burning off due to stagnant air courtesy of high pressure over the
central Rockies. Though the center of the high pressure area was
located over the Rockies, skies remained cloudy through the morning,
though no precipitation was recorded in the area. Moving south,
precipitation was falling under dense cloud cover over southeastern
Texas. Florida also saw some cloud cover around midday, though very
little precipitation was associated with these clouds.

18th-24th...Lake effect snow blanketed the Great Lakes region Monday
while a storm swept in from the Pacific and dampened the Northwest and
parts of California.
Snow around Lakes Erie and Ontario was heavy in spots. About 21 inches
was reported in Pulaski, NY. Skies stayed clear over much of the rest
of the East, though temperatures were chilly. Snow was scattered
through much of the Great Basin, Rockies and parts of the southern
Plains, where dense clouds developed.
The West saw rain, some of it heavy, and snow in higher elevations.
A large and powerful storm spread rain Wednesday from northern
California to the Canadian border. Clear skies and chilly temperatures
prevailed in much of the East. Some of the heaviest rain from the
Pacific storm drenched Portland and Seattle. Much of Washington's
interior was under a freezing rain advisory. Lake effect snow fell in
parts of New York. Elsewhere in the Northeast, skies were clear with
below-normal temperatures. The Mid-Atlantic was warmer, also under
sunny skies. Partly to mostly cloudy skies spread over the Mississippi
Valley, upper Midwest and Southeast.
Rain and a mixture of rain and snow fell in the Great Lakes and the
Northwest saw scattered showers Friday, but clear skies prevailed in
much of the country.
A stationary front brought rain and mixed precipitation to the Great
Lakes region. In the Northwest, scattered showers were reported but
they were nothing like the heavy rain that plagued the region in
previous days. A low pressure system will move through the Great Lakes,
bringing snow to the region while its associated cold front eventually
spreads rain through the Southeast and towards the Mid-Atlantic and
Northeast. Persistent moist flow continues in the Northwest. Skies were
clear from eastern Texas to the Ohio Valley and east to
southern New Jersey. California was mainly sunny, but there was dense
fog and cloud cover in many of the valleys and coastlines. The rest of
the West was mostly cloudy as a warm front pushed into the Northwest.

25th-31st...High winds downed trees and power lines, cutting off
electricity to thousands of homes across the Pacific Northwest as a
storm system moved across the region Sunday. Snow dusted parts of the
Mississippi and Ohio Valley as well as northern New England on Sunday,
while rain fell along the West Coast. A low pressure system will
continue through the Northeast, bringing the bulk of the precipitation
to northern New England, then gradually diminishing through the day.
Another moist system will push through the West Coast. A low pressure
system will continue through the Northeast, bringing the bulk of the
precipitation to northern New England, then gradually diminishing
through the day. Another moist system will push through the West Coast.
Widespread rain and high elevation snow fell as a cold front pushed
into the Pacific Northwest and worked its way west into the northern
Rockies. In the nation's midsection, high pressure dipped southeastward
along the Rocky Mountains and kept most of the Rockies and the Plains
dry. Chilly temperatures settled in the Midwest and Northeast with
highs only in the 20s and 30s. Temperatures climbed into the 60s in the
southern Plains, while 70s and low 80s spread through southern Texas
and portions of the Southwest.
A mixture of rain and snow fell across northern New England Monday,
while another storm system brought significant wet weather to
California. Precipitation pushed inland into Idaho, and northern Nevada
and Utah. Washington and Oregon also experienced rain and high
elevation snow. Light rain and snow showers also were reported
throughout the Mid-Atlantic and southern New England.
Meanwhile, the middle of the country remained dry under the influence
of a ridge of high pressure. The warmest part of the country was
southern Texas as temperatures rose into the 80s in the region. Highs
into the 30s were experienced in the Great Lakes and western New
England, while a temperature gradient set up in the Northwest, creating
highs of 50s by the coast and 40s farther inland.
Heavy rain fell from the San Francisco Bay Area to Washington state
Tuesday, while snow fell in Maine and the Southeast was mainly dry.
Temperatures warmed in the Southern Plains and the Gulf Coast. The
heaviest rainfall from a system along the West Coast was in California,
where river levels climbed and flood watches were issued in coastal
regions. Meanwhile, snow fell in the western slopes of the Sierra
Nevadas, but it quickly turned to rain. A separate front moved into
eastern Washington, Oregon and Idaho, bringing more rain to the region.
In the central U.S., light rain fell in parts of the Plains. In the
Northeast, more snow fell in Maine but the system pushed out of New
England later in the day. The Southeast was mainly dry. Temperatures
warmed in the Southern Plains and Gulf Coast to the 70s and 80s. The
Upper Midwest was the coldest region, with high temperatures in the
30s.
Thunderstorms packing rain, strong wind and hail moved through Alabama
and Georgia on Wednesday, and parts of the Ohio Valley and West Coast
also experienced stormy weather. Much of the central U.S. was sunny and
warm.
Golfball-sized hail fell on several cities in Georgia and Alabama,
including Talladega, AL, as the storm system pushed into the Southeast
and parts of the Ohio Valley. A roof was blown off a small barn in
Powell, KY. The same system dropped rain as far as the Great Lakes
region. Parts of the West Coast had heavy rain as a storm and cold
front moved through the region. Some mountainous areas also had heavy
snow. Much of the central U.S. was sunny and warm, with clear skies
from the lower Mississippi Valley through the Southwest and western
Plains.
Two large scale areas of precipitation were falling across the country
on Thursday, the biggest was over the Northeast where moderate rain had
fallen across much of New England. Precipitation amounts from this
rainfall generally were under an inch. The second area of precipitation
was located over the Northern Plains. Snow was falling over North
Dakota, giving way to freezing rain and rain in South Dakota. Heavy
snowfall was reported in Bismarck. The rest of the nation remained
relatively dry, though the Ohio and Tennessee valleys both were
experiencing some locally heavy fog. The fog also brought with it some
light and widespread drizzle. The West Coast enjoyed a precipitation
free morning, as a storm that had been causing flooding had moved out
of the region. Clear skies were overhead early in the morning for much
of California, but high clouds began their march into the region around
midday, signaling the approach of another storm sitting just off the
coast. The Southern portion of the country was mostly dry for the day,
with mostly to parlty sunny skies dominating the area.
Heavy rainfall caused flooding Friday throughout Northern California
and western Oregon, where surging rivers only swelled more with the
onslaught of more sustained rains. Many areas of Northern California
and southern Oregon received several inches of rain by midday.
Extremely heavy snowfall is expected in the mountains of California on
Saturday Dec. 31, 2005 with up to 6 feet of snow expected in some
areas. Lower elevations won't see the heavy snow, but up to 10 inches
of rain could fall by the time this storm leaves the region. Moisture
surging ahead of this system spread snow showers over much of southern
Idaho beginning in the late morning hours. Moderate to heavy rainfall
was reported over the Upper Mississippi Valley, including Missouri and
Illinois. Meanwhile, light snow fell in Wisconsin and Michigan. The
Gulf Coast was the country's warmest region as temperatures rose into
the 70s for the most part with 80s also experienced in some regions.
Temperatures generally decreased to the north with highs only in the
20s and 30s in the Northern Plains.