Northeast

Weather Underground Forecast for Thursday, December 17, 2009.

Another round of wet, wintry weather will develop throughout the Pacific Northwest as yet another disturbance approaches the region on Thursday. Moist, onshore flow from the Pacific will continue to pour across the Pacific Northwest Coast as a trough of low pressure and it's associated cold front trek toward the shoreline. This activity will translate into areas of low elevation rainfall and high elevation snowfall. Neither drastic temperature changes nor significant rain or snow are expected on Thursday.

To the south, a ridge of high pressure will build back over California and keep showery weather restricted to the northernmost regions of the state. Dry and mild conditions are expected to last through the weekend.

In the East, significant showers and heavy rainfall are expected in eastern Texas and near the central Gulf Coast as an area of low pressure along a frontal boundary strengthens in the Gulf. Southeastern Texas and Louisiana will see the strongest concentrations of precipitation throughout the day. Strong winds and high seas will also accompany unsettling weather near the coast. Meanwhile, energy along the frontal boundary will spark showers and isolated to scattered thunderstorms in the Florida Peninsula.

To the North, cold weather in the will spread from the Northern and Central Plains into the Northeast. As the system exits, temperatures in the Plains will begin to warm again. Cold air over the Great Lakes and the Northeast may trigger areas of lake effect snow showers during the afternoon, along with lower daytime highs.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Wednesday ranged from a low of -37 degrees at Westby, Montana to a high of 87 degrees at Miami, Florida.