Southwest

Weather Underground midday recap for Tuesday, May 13, 2008.

Tuesday’s main weather producer was the cold front from the Upper Midwest through the Central Plains and Four Corners that pushed eastward and southward. This system kept scattered rain and higher elevation snow showers going across the northern Great Plains and Four Corners. Moderate to heavy snow fell especially over the Colorado Rockies and snowfall accumulations reached 6 to 12 inches in some places. Apart from the precipitation, unseasonably cool air filtered in after the cold front, which spread across the Northern Plains and Central Rockies.

Farther east, scattered showers and thunderstorms began to fire up over the Mississippi Valley and Southern Plains in the morning as the front moved into the region. Some severe thunderstorms produced hail up to 2 inches in diameter over portions of the Mid-Mississippi Valley and Southern Plains.

Out West, moist onshore flow kept much of the Northwest cloudy Tuesday, with light to moderate rain mainly in Washington and western Oregon. On the other hand, mostly sunny skies prevailed across California and Nevada as high pressure began to build across the region. Afternoon temperatures warmed up nicely into the 70s and 80s.

High pressure also built across the East Coast, which provided a beautiful sunny day across the region. Tuesday’s highs were mostly in the 70s and 80s.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Monday have ranged from a morning low of 17 degrees at Berthoud Pass, Colo. to a midday high of 98 degrees at Del Rio, Texas.