US

Weather Underground Forecast for Friday, March 12, 2010.

Wet weather will persist in the Eastern half of the nation on Friday as a large low pressure system hovers over the region. A low pressure system spinning over the Mississippi River Valley will spread scattered showers northward into the Great Lakes and Upper Midwest, while a strong front will extend into the Southeast and Gulf states. As this front obtains abundant moisture from the Gulf, it will kick up scattered showers and thunderstorms over the Southeast and will move into the Carolinas and Tennessee Valley. Expect these storms to turn severe as they have a history of producing strong winds and tornadoes. Flooding will continue to threaten the region, as most areas will see near an inch of rain, while areas of thunderstorms will see up to 2 inches. In the North, the low pressure system will push warm air in from the South. Thus, the Midwest will see mainly rain showers as highs hover in the 40s and 50s. Expect rainfall totals near a half of an inch in most places. Moisture from this system will also push into New England, also kicking up a half of an inch of rain. However, the back side of this system will see rain turning to sleet and snow, with highs near freezing in the Northern and Central Plains.

Meanwhile in the West, another low pressure system spinning offshore will push a cold front over the Pacific Northwest. This system will kick up another round of low level rain and high level snow in the Sierras and Cascades. Expect up to a half of an inch of rain over most of the West Coast with a few inches of new snow in the mountains. Expect up to 9 inches at elevations above 4000 feet.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday ranged from a low of -9 degrees at Wisdom, Mont. to a high of 89 degrees at Kingsville, Texas.