Marlton, NJ

Weather Underground midday recap for Thursday, November 17, 2011.

The Pacific Northwest and Northern Rocky Mountains saw a wet and snowy day on Thursday, while the East saw diminishing rain showers. A trough of low pressure moved from the Pacific Northwest and into the Northern Rockies. At the same time, the system pushed a cold front southward, which extended from Montana and Wyoming, into northern California. Along and behind this frontal boundary saw periods of heavy rain and high elevation snow. The Cascades reported 4 to 7 inches of snow above 3,000 feet, while the Intermountain West and Northern Rockies reported 5 to 10 inches of new snow above 5,000 feet. Thus, winter weather and winter storm advisories remained in effect for the Northwestern US. Additionally strong winds from 25 to 35 mph have been reported across the region, with up to 50 and 60 mph gusts at highest mountain passes. To the south, the tail end of this system triggered periods of heavy rains across northern California. Most areas saw less than a half of an inch in the early morning hours. However, heaviest rain showers were reported in Crescent City, California with a mid-day total of 0.86 inches of rain.

Meanwhile in the East, a strong cold front that triggered heavy rains and severe thunderstorms this week slowly pushed offshore and into the Atlantic Ocean. This allowed for diminishing rain showers along the Eastern Seaboard. Severe thunderstorms have not been reported, but Hatteras, North Carolina reported the heaviest rainfall with a mid-day total of 1.86 inches. Meanwhile in the North, lake effect snow showers persisted across the Great Lakes. Downwind shores saw snow accumulation between 2 to 6 inches.