Alaska

Weather Underground midday recap for Thursday, December 04, 2008.

Cold temperatures continued to linger in the Northern Plains and Mid-West on Thursday as a deep trough in the Jet Stream sat over the region. Ahead of the trough, a cold front pushed through the East and brought cloud cover and a few rain and snow showers to the Atlantic coast states. Cloud cover along the front was dense in many locations, but precipitation was generally light. Heavier rain was reported in scattered locations throughout the Mid-Atlantic region and down the Appalachian mountains into the Gulf of Mexico.

Elsewhere in the country, precipitation was scarce on Thursday. Cloud cover associated with a weak stationary front over Colorado brought some snow to the high plains in the eastern part of the state. The Western Slope saw some light rain as well.

The West saw generally clear skies as a ridge of high pressure persisted over the eastern Pacific. Temperatures in the interior valleys remained cool as dense fog lingered throughout the day. At the coast where skies were generally clear, temperatures rose to highs above seasonal normals.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday have ranged from a morning low of -7 degrees at Sparta, Wis to a midday high of 80 degrees at Ormond Beach, Fla.