Los Alamos, NM

Weather Underground midday recap for Sunday, May 20, 2012.

Moisture and rain spread across the Georgia coast Sunday afternoon as the first tropical storm of the season, Tropical Storm Alberto, spun about 95 miles southeast of Savannah, Georgia. Alberto moved toward the southwest at about 6 mph this afternoon with maximum sustained winds near 45 mph and higher gusts. While a Tropical Storm Watch remained in effect for areas from the Savannah River to South Santee River, South Carolina, coastal areas from Georgia through the Outer Banks of North Carolina were encouraged to monitor the progress of Alberto. Tropical storm winds remained possible along the coast of South Carolina in the watch area later today, while dangerous surf conditions remained possible along the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina through Monday. For more information on this storm, please visit http://www.wunderground.com/tropical/.

Elsewhere in the East, low pressure along the head of a cold front extending from the Upper Great Lakes through the Southern Plains produced rain and strong to severe thunderstorms in eastern Minnesota and northern Wisconsin. Strong storms from the Upper Peninsula Michigan southward through central Illinois and into northwestern Indiana had the potential to turn severe with large hail, damaging wind gusts, and possible tornadoes. As of this afternoon, there have been quite a few reports of penny to golf ball sized hail and a couple of high wind reports in northern Wisconsin. Meanwhile, areas from the southern tip of Texas and the Central Gulf Coast through eastern Illinois and Michigan experienced hot temperatures this afternoon. Daytime highs in this strip reached into the upper 80s to near 90 today.

In the West, clouds and areas of embedded rain showers spread across the northwestern corner of the nation as a trough of low pressure in the northeastern Pacific Ocean sends a weak warm front toward the Pacific Northwest Coast. Light rain showers are embedded in areas of cloud cover over the Pacific Northwest. To the south, onshore flow brought low clouds and patchy fog to the coastal areas of southern California. Elsewhere, temperatures across the Desert Southwest began to heat up this afternoon. Temperatures in the region were expected to climb into the 100-105 degree range this afternoon.