NATIONAL WEATHER SUMMARY

OCTOBER 2006

1st-7th...Rain and thunderstorms gained strength as they moved through
New Jersey on Saturday, then blew offshore. Rain continued in New
England, with the heaviest falling in southern New Hampshire,
Massachusetts and Connecticut. Southern California experienced light
and scattered rain, widespread clouds and cool Skies were mostly clear
over the Plains. Highs were in the 90s from Kansas to northern Texas.
Showers and thunderstorms moved through the Southwest and Great Basin
on Friday, prompting flood warnings and severe thunderstorm watches in
Utah, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. Some rivers experienced flash
flooding, while others were expected to rise into the evening.
Meanwhile, light to heavy rain fell in the Mid-Atlantic and southern
New England throughout the day, sparking flash flood watches in
Virginia, Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey. Dry conditions prevailed
in the Plains, Mississippi Valley, Great Lakes and parts of the
Northeast. Morning frost advisories were posted throughout the
Northeast.
Unseasonably cool weather settled over parts of the East Coast on
Saturday as an intense area of low pressure developed near the
Carolinas. In the Mid-Atlantic, afternoon temperatures topped out in
the low 50s away from the coast. Baltimore-Washington International
Airport recorded an afternoon high of 55 degrees, a full 15 degrees
below normal. Dense clouds covered the sky from South Carolina to
Pennsylvania and New Jersey, and heavy rain fell across parts of
Virginia.
Skies were mostly clear through New England, but strong northeasterly
winds brought moderate coastal flooding to the region and south through
the Carolinas.
Minor coastal flooding occurred even farther south, into Florida. Rain
fell in southern Montana, and thunderstorms rumbled through New Mexico,
where flood watches were in effect.

8th-14th...In the East, a low pressure system off the North Carolina
coast produced clouds and isolated
showers in the Carolinas. Generally this rain has ended, but rainfall
amounts were around a half inch in some areas. The rest of the region
was partly cloudy and dry with high pressure in place.
In the central part of the country, mostly cloudy skies and scattered
showers were reported over much of the central and southwestern Plains.
Rainfall amounts were generally under a half inch. Dodge City, Kansas,
reported 0.45 inches of rain today. Mostly cloudy skies and isolated
showers were reported in the upper Mississippi as well, although
rainfall amounts there were generally under a tenth of an inch. The
rest of the region reported partly cloudy skies and dry conditions. In
the West, scattered showers and thunderstorms formed across parts of
the Four Corners region and the Desert Southwest. Some of these storms
had severe gusty winds, small hail and locally heavy rainfall.
Quarter-sized hail was reported near Roosevelt, New Mexico. Rainfall
amounts were generally under an inch, however Truth and Consequences,
New Mexico, reported 1.20 inches of rain. Wyoming reported some snow in
higher elevations although little or no accumulation was reported. The
rest of the region reported partly cloudy skies and dry conditions.
The nation's first major arctic outbreak of the season continued
Wednesday as cold air sank into part of the nation's midsection.
Afternoon temperatures were in only the 30s in the Northern Plains and
Upper Midwest, while 40s were experienced in the Central Plains and
southern portions of the Upper Midwest.
The low temperatures were expected to persist into Thursday as the cold
air
continued to sink to the Southeast. Showers of snow and cool rain fell
in the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest. Strong winds produced high
waves on Lake Superior and prompted flood statements in northern
Wisconsin and Michigan.
Rain and thunderstorms moved through the Upper Mississippi Valley, Ohio
Valley
and western New England, and there were even some severe thunderstorms
in the
Tennessee Valley.
In the eastern United States, a large low pressure system and
associated cold front produced widespread showers and thunderstorms
across portions of New England southward through the Northeast and into
the northern Appalachians. Locally heavy rainfall amounts were seen
early across much of Vermont, New Hampshire, and Maine. For instance,
Rochester, New Hampshire picked up 2-point-43 inches of rain while
Waterville, Maine received an impressive 3.22 inches through the
morning hours. In many locations, storm totals surpassed the three to
four inch mark. Further to the south, a few isolated showers and storms

developed ahead of the frontal boundary in the Southeast and Florida.
Rainfall amounts here were generally light. Behind the powerful cold
front, scattered rain and a few snow showers fell across the Great
Lakes and into northern portions of the Ohio Valley. No snow
accumulation was reported and rainfall amounts were on the light side.
Light rain showers also fell over western portions of the Tennessee
Valley with generally dry conditions persisting across the Deep South.
Across the center of the nation, the same powerful cold front brought
much colder and breezy conditions to portions of the central and
northern Plains as well as the middle Mississippi River Valley.
Scattered rain showers accompanied the frontal boundary, but only light
precipitation amounts were reported across Kansas, northern Oklahoma,
and Missouri. Further to the south, however, isolated thunderstorms
developed through the lower Mississippi Valley, but no severe activity
was reported. Behind the strong cold front, clouds and a few scattered
snow showers persisted across the northern Plains, Upper Midwest, and
the western Great Lakes. In the West, a few scattered rain and snow
showers exited the High Plains early, with only minimal precipitation
amounts reported. Further to the west, an upper level low pressure
system spread clouds and a few isolated rain showers to the central
California coastline. Elsewhere, high pressure brought fair skies, dry
conditions, and seasonal temperatures to the remainder of the Pacific
Northwest, Great Basin, Rockies, and Desert Southwest.
In the East, a large low pressure system over the Great Lakes produced
widely scattered flurries across Michigan, but snowfall rates were
light in most places. To the south, isolated showers pushed across
parts of the Gulf Coast states. Conditions in much of the Northeast,
Mid-Atlantic, Ohio Valley, Tennessee Valley, and the Appalachians were
dry with clear to partly cloudy skies. In the western two-thirds of the
country, light flurries diminished in the western Great Lakes, but
light to moderate lake-effect snow showers remained in the western
Upper Peninsula of Michigan. To the south, scattered showers moved over
southern Texas. Farther west, a low pressure system off the southern
California Coast produced scattered showers from central California to
southwestern Arizona. Also in the West, areas of patchy fog were
reported along the Pacific Northwest Coast. Conditions in much of the
Plains, Rockies, Mississippi Valley, and the Desert Southwest were dry
with clear to partly cloudy skies.

15th-21st...In the East, scattered showers and thunderstorms pushed
across much of the Tennessee Valley, Gulf Coast states, and portions of
the Southeast on Monday. During mid to late morning hours, several
tornado warnings were issued for parts of southern Mississippi.
Rainfall was locally heavy at times. Farther north, isolated showers
moved into the Ohio Valley and the southern Great Lakes. Conditions in
much of the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, and the eastern Carolinas were dry
with partly cloudy skies. In the central third of the Nation, scattered
showers and strong to severe thunderstorms moved across much of the
Mississippi Valley and southern Plains. Numerous tornado warnings and
several severe thunderstorm warnings were issued for southeastern Texas
and southern Louisiana into the early afternoon. Heavy rainfall also
led to flooding of streams and rivers in eastern Texas and portions of
Louisiana and Arkansas. Light to moderate rain fell in the upper
Mississippi Valley. To the west, mostly cloudy skies and areas of
patchy fog were observed in the central and northern Plains.
In the West, a low pressure system produced widely scattered showers
and mountain snow showers in the northern Rockies, northern Great
Basin, and the Pacific Northwest. Rainfall was under one-half inch, and
snowfall rates were light to moderate. To the south, areas of patchy
fog were observed in portions of coastal California. Conditions in the
southern Great Basin, Desert Southwest, and the southern Rockies were
dry with clear to partly cloudy skies.
Across the eastern United States, showers and thunderstorms continued
to push off the Atlantic coast, impacting areas of New England as well
as further south across the Middle Atlantic and Southeast on Wednesday.
No severe weather was reported and additional rainfall amounts remained
light. Showers and thunderstorms continued to impact portions of
southern Georgia and northern Florida through the midday hours with
locally heavy rainfall reported in several locations. Behind the front,
fair skies and pleasant conditions were observed throughout the Great
Lakes and into the Ohio Valley. Patchy dense fog created problems
across a large portion of the Tennessee Valley, Appalachians, and Deep
South, with visibilities reduced to less than one-quarter of a mile in
places through the late morning hours. In the center of the nation,
showers and thunderstorms developed along and ahead of a cold front
pushing through the central Plains and into the Midwest. No severe
weather was reported with this activity and most rainfall amounts
remained less than .50. On the back side of the cold front, rain
changed over to snow showers across portions of South Dakota, Nebraska,
northwestern Iowa and southwestern Minnesota; however, snow
accumulations only ranged from one to three inches, and mainly on
grassy surfaces. Farther to the south, dry and mild conditions
persisted ahead of the front across the southern Plains, Mississippi
River Valley and Texas. Some patchy dense fog developed over east Texas
with showers and thunderstorms eventually redeveloping along the Texas
Gulf Coast into Louisiana by the midday hours. In the West, lingering
rain and high elevation snow showers continued through the morning
hours across portions of the central and southern Rockies. Additional
precipitation amounts were on the light side. Farther to the north and
west, clouds and a few rain showers moved onto the Pacific Northwest
coast in advance of an approaching system. Across southern California,
gusty winds continued through the hills and canyons with wind gust
reports ranging from 30 to 50 mph throughout portions of Los Angeles
County and Ventura County. Elsewhere, skies were variably cloudy with
cool temperatures throughout the Great Basin, Four Corners and Desert
Southwest.
Moderate to heavy rain fell through much of the Northeast on Friday,
prompting flood watches and warnings in many areas of northern New
England. Strong winds combined with saturated soil created situations
where trees could fall over easily. Snow showers were noted in parts of
western New England. Scattered rain and high elevation snow fell from
Montana through northern Colorado, and some showers also crept into the
Central Plains. Snow advisories and winter storm warnings remained in
effect for western Montana, parts of Wyoming and northern Colorado. The
West Coast was mostly dry.

22nd-28th...Rain fell across much of the country's eastern half on
Monday, while cold winds helped produce snow in parts of the Midwest.
New England, the eastern Great Lakes and the northern Mid-Atlantic
experienced light to moderate rain, while scattered showers and
isolated thunderstorms developed over Florida.
Snow showers fell in the Upper Midwest and western Great Lakes. As
temperatures
climbed in the afternoon, parts of the Ohio Valley saw snow showers
change to
rain. Highs in the region were only in the 30s and 40s. The Northwest
saw no significant precipitation. High pressure provided dry, warm
weather across the rest of the nation.
Across the East, high pressure dominated much of the region on
Wednesday. Skies were partly cloudy with dry conditions in the
Mid-Atlantic, Southeast, and Appalachians. A mix of sun and clouds was
observed over the Northeast and Great Lakes. Moisture from a system
located in the southern Plains streamed into the Deep South and
Tennessee Valley, which brought clouds and light rain showers to the
area. In the central portion of the country, a low pressure system
located in the Oklahoma Panhandle produced clouds and rain showers over
the southern Plains and Lower Mississippi Valley. Several locations in
Texas reported over an inch of rainfall. Dense clouds and drizzle were
observed as far north as Iowa and Nebraska. Skies over the northern
Plains and Upper Midwest remained mostly sunny with dry conditions as
high pressure dominated the region. Over the West, rain and snow
showers continued across the northern and central Rockies and Great
Basin. Locally heavy snowfall was reported in Montana and eastern
Idaho. Small hail was reported as thunderstorms moved through Mesquite,
Nevada ahead of a cold front. Skies were sunny over the southern
Rockies, California, and Pacific Northwest.
Heavy snow fell across Colorado, with up to 23 inches reported in parts
of the state by late afternoon. Precipitation also moved through the
Upper Mississippi Valley and into the Great Lakes. In the South,
heavier rain fell as thunderstorms rumbled across the Gulf Coast. Heavy
rain fell in the lower high Plains, and a tornado was reported in Gray,
KS. Weather was pleasant in the Northeast, though the air was chilly.
A low pressure system located in the Tennessee Valley brought scattered
showers and a few thunderstorms to a large portion of the East on
Friday. Rain fell across the southern Great Lakes and Mid-Atlantic,
Southeast, and Ohio Valley. Rainfall amounts over an inch were common,
with locations in Mississippi and Louisiana reporting over 2 inches of
rain. Skies were partly cloudy in the Northeast and northern Great
Lakes. In the western two-thirds of the country, a low pressure system
pushing to the east allowed for showers and a few thunderstorms in the
central Mississippi Valley. Rainfall amounts over 2 inches was reported
in Missouri. Scattered light rain showers developed over the Upper
Midwest ahead of a disturbance. Windy conditions were observed across
the southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley. Skies were partly
cloudy to mostly sunny across the northern and central Plains, Rockies,
Desert Southwest, Pacific Northwest, Great Basin, and California as
high pressure dominated the region.

29th-31st...In the East, mostly cloudy skies dominated areas from
northern New York through Maine on Monday. Conditions over the majority
of the Northeast, Great Lakes, Mid-Atlantic, Ohio and Tennessee
Valleys, Carolinas, Southeast, and the Gulf Coast states were dry with
clear to partly cloudy skies. In the central third of the country, a
low pressure system moving into the Plains, sparked scattered snow
showers in the Dakotas. Conditions in the central Plains, Midwest, and
the Mississippi Valley were dry with partly cloudy skies, and mostly
cloudy skies dominated the southern Plains. In the West, light snow
showers tapered off over northern Idaho and Montana. To the west, areas
of patchy fog impacted visibilities along portions of the Pacific
Coast. Conditions in the central and southern Rockies, Great Basin, and
the Desert Southwest were dry with clear to partly cloudy skies.

*Souce: Washington Post, AP, New York Times