Weather Underground Forecast for Sunday, July 12, 2009.
The most active weather events will develop across the Eastern and Central US on Sunday due to fronts associated with a storm system located over southeastern Canada.
In the East, light to moderate showers and scattered thunderstorms will develop ahead of a cold front moving through the Northeast. The heaviest amounts of precipitation are expected to fall across the northern New England states. Light showers and thunderstorms will also fire up along the tail end of this front, which will extend through the Mid-Atlantic and into the Mid-Mississippi Valley.
Meanwhile, a nearly stationary front will extend from the western half of the Mid-Mississippi Valley through the Central Plains. Westerly flow will enhance instability along this frontal boundary and will instigate numerous clusters of thunderstorms throughout the Central Plains. Disturbances along this front will create a chance for severe weather development throughout the afternoon. Strong, damaging winds and hail may accompany thunderstorms in the Central Plains and the Ozarks.
In the West, a low pressure system located just off the Pacific Northwest Coast will push onshore on Sunday and will trek toward the Northern Intermountain West. A cold front will accompany this system, bringing scattered showers and thunderstorms to the Pacific Northwest. This system will also enhance onshore flow across northern California, creating a chance for showers and a few rumbles of thunder throughout the day.
Elsewhere, high pressure will remain over the South, yielding to another day of hot temperatures and mostly dry conditions across the Southwest and the Southern Plains. Another area of high pressure will bring pleasant and dry weather to much of the Upper Great Lakes and the Ohio Valley.
Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Saturday ranged from a low of 36 degrees at Stanley, Idaho to a high of 114 degrees at Goodyear, Ariz.
On this date in 1993, a 7.8 magnitude earthquake in the Sea of Japan triggered a large tsunami. Waves up to 90 feet tall swept away people and buildings. While 239 people died, a far more major diaster was avoided due to the Japan Meteorological Agency's timely warnings to residents and businesses.