Quiet weather conditions returned to the Northeast and New England, while wintry weather hit the Southern Rockies and Plains. A low pressure system that hovered over the Great Lakes finally pushed northeastward and out of the US on Tuesday. Flow around this system continued to pick up slight moisture from the Great Lakes and spread light and scattered snowfall over the Northeast, while pulling an extremely cold air mass in from Canada.
This system kicked up snowfall accumulation near 1 inch from New York to Maine, with blustery conditions, and highs remained below zero. These strong winds allowed for wind chills in the negative teens over most of the region. The eastern shores of the Great Lakes saw another day of lake-effect snow. While it was much lighter today than yesterday, some areas saw up to 3 inches of snow accumulation. Au Sable Forks, New York, saw 13 mph winds with gusts up to 21 mph and a wind chill near -18.
To the west and behind this system, high pressure built in over the Mississippi River Valley from the Plains. This brought sunny and cool conditions before another system approached from the West.
A strong winter storm developed over the Southern Rockies and stretched into the Southern Plains. This system had Pacific moisture associated with it and pulled additional moisture in from the Gulf. With highs only in the mid-30s, snowfall developed over the region. Most of New Mexico saw 1-3 inches of snow, while most of Texas saw near an inch. To the east, highs in the mid-40s allowed for light and scattered rainfall that stretched from eastern Texas and approached Louisiana.
Farther West, another cool and cloudy day was expected over the West Coast on Tuesday as a low pressure system remained just offshore.
On Monday, temperatures in the Lower 48 states ranged from a low of -20 degrees at Laramie, Wyo., to a high of 75 degrees at Kendall, Fla.
