A wet and stormy weather pattern was expected to continue affecting California on Tuesday as a strong Pacific jet stream hurled another potent disturbance into the state.
Low pressure churning over the eastern Pacific was forecast to push a strong front across the California coastline as it trekked toward the Pacific Northwest coast.
The front could carry a lot of moisture and energy, and could produce periods of heavy rainfall, isolated thunderstorms and strong winds. Damaging wind gusts were expected near the coast and across the inner valleys. Persistent and heavy rainfall could cause flooding and impede travel.
As the storm moves inland and reaches the colder mountainous regions of the state, rain could change into significant amounts of snowfall. Higher winds and heavy snow across the Sierras was expected to give way to possible whiteout and hazardous travel conditions in the afternoon.
To the north, moist flow from the same low pressure system in the eastern Pacific was expected to produce strong winds along the coast. It was forecast to produce more rain and snow across the Pacific Northwest as it advanced toward the West Coast.
Elsewhere in the West, Pacific storms from earlier this week were forecast to begin moving east and reach the Intermountain West and the Southwest. The systems could produce rain and snow throughout the day, creating poor travel conditions.
In the East, another low pressure system was forecast to take shape over the New England coast. Flow around the system could usher moisture into the region and trigger periods of significant snowfall during the latter of half of the day. Meanwhile, predominantly dry weather were expected across the remainder of the East as high pressure remained the dominant weather feature of the region.
On Monday, temperatures in the Lower 48 states ranged from a low of negative 8 degrees at Kremmling, Colo., to a high of 81 degrees at McAllen, Texas.