The nation's weather

Weather Underground midday recap for Wednesday, March 20, 2013. A strong Pacific storm moved through the Northwest and California Wednesday, renewing rain and high elevation snow from Washington through Northern California. This storm was relatively warm, thus snow was reserved for the higher elevations of the Sierra Nevadas of California and Cascades of the Northwest. This rain and snow was very welcomed along the West Coast, especially in California where many areas have received much less rainfall that normal for this past Winter. In addition to the precipitation, Wind Advisories warned of wind gusting to 65 mph, making travel dangerous at the higher elevations.

In the Northeast, cold flow off Lake Ontario and Lake Erie produced scattered snow showers through the area.

Meanwhile, a cold front moved from south Texas to along the Gulf Coast, aiding another round of scattered showers and a few thunderstorms to the area. This front was followed by a high pressure system that brought dry conditions through the Plains.

The Northeast rose into the 30s and 40s, while the Southeast saw a range of temperatures from the 40s in the Tennessee Valley to the 70s in Florida. The Northern Plains rose into the 20s and 30s, while the Northwest saw temperatures in the 40s and 50s.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Wednesday have ranged from a morning low of -18 degrees at Rugby, N.D. to a midday high of 84 degrees at El Centro, Calif.