The Associated Press
12/12/02 5:53 PM
Stormy weather spread across the Gulf Coast on Thursday while strong winds and heavy rain moved into the Pacific Northwest. The rest of the nation had calm weather.
The Gulf Coast system was most intense in Texas. Heavy rain fell in Houston, and Brenham recorded 1.62 inches of rainfall by midday. Several locations reported large hail up to 2 inches in diameter, and a tornado watch was issued for Austin County.
The severe weather moved into Louisiana later in the day, and watches were posted for the southwest part of the state. Lighter rain fell in north Texas, the southern Plains and east into Florida.
A strong front off the Pacific brought strong winds and rain to the Northwest coast. Gusts over 50 mph were recorded in Bellingham, Wash., and sustained winds blew at 30 mph across northwest Washington. Rain fell from Washington to northern California.
Snow fell in the northern Rockies, and Aspen, Colo., and other central Rockies towns reported light snow showers. Low clouds and fog lingered in interior valleys of California. Fresno, Calif., reported visibility down to an eighth of a mile.
Coastal California and the Southwest were dry and fair. Cloudy but mostly dry skies dominated the Great Lakes, Tennessee Valley and Northeast. Light rain and snow was scattered across northern New England.
Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday ranged from a midday high of 83 in Marathon, Fla., to a morning low of 3 below zero in Grey Bull, Wyo. With the humidity, the temperature in Marathon felt like 91 degrees.