A strong winter storm was forecast to intensify Monday over California while snow and rain was expected along the East Coast.
A low pressure system spinning off the West Coast could trigger a series of atmospheric disturbances this week. Flow around the systems was expected to pick up moisture from the Pacific and spread scattered showers over northern California and the Pacific Northwest. Strong winds could produce gusts of up to 30 mph, possibly 40 mph in higher elevations of the Sierra Nevadas and Cascades.
Between 10 and 18 inches of snow could fall at elevations near 6,000 feet in the Sierras, while areas above 7,000 feet could see up to 30 inches. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain could fall over lower elevations in northern California.
Warm air was expected to accompany the system and could allow for highs in the low 50s with near-freezing temperatures in the mountains. Monday evening could see a break from the storms as one system was forecast to push north while the other approached the Pacific. Dangerous road conditions were expected, especially along high mountain passes.
In the East, a low pressure system that moved over the Gulf states could continue pushing north along the East Coast. The system obtained moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean, which means widespread scattered showers could move from the Mid-Atlantic states into New England. Cooler temperatures could bring up to 3 inches of snow to the region and less than a half inch of rain to New England.
Mild weather was expected in the Central U.S. Higher pressure over the Plains could allow for seasonable conditions, with the Northern Plains seeing highs in the 20s and the Southern Plains approaching the 70s.
On Sunday, temperatures in the Lower 48 states ranged from a low of negative 6 degrees at Kremmling, Colo., to a high of 83 degrees at Vero Beach, Fla.