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	AccuWeather Graphics
		• National satellite imagery • National radar imagery • Today's high and low temperatures

NATIONAL SUMMARY

The only unsettled weather to speak of across much of the nation
early this weekend has been focused over the Pacific Northwest. A
storm system spinning over the Gulf of Alaska continued sending rain
and heavy mountain snow into Washington, Oregon, Idaho, western
Montana and northwestern Wyoming through early Saturday. Rainfall
totals Friday morning into Saturday morning ranged between 1 and 2
inches across western Washington. No snowfall totals had been
reported through Saturday morning, though amounts are expected to
reach 1 to 2 feet by early Sunday. Elsewhere across the nation, the
weather has remained fairly quiet. It was a cold start to the day in
the Northeast, however. Temperatures Friday night into Saturday
morning plummeted to the coldest levels of the season so far in many
areas, mainly from the Appalachians on east. Lows dipped into the 20s
across the interior Northeast, including some northern suburbs of
Philadelphia. Temperatures even dropped into the 20s in Baltimore.
The chill was quickly being erased later Saturday morning into early
Saturday afternoon, however, as the warm air that set records across
the Plains Friday started spreading northeastward. Temperatures were
on track to set new records across the Midwest early this afternoon.
Dry and mild conditions also continued across the South. However,
showers associated with a low pressure system over the southwestern
Gulf of Mexico were drawing closer to the coast of South Texas.
Farther east, Ida continued strengthening early this afternoon in the
northwestern Caribbean. More information on Ida can be found below in
the Special Weather section.

SPECIAL WEATHER

Ida Still Strengthening over Northwestern Caribbean
Since becoming a tropical storm again early Saturday morning, Ida
continued strengthening through the early afternoon hours today. By 1
p.m., EST, sustained winds had increased to 70 mph, just 4 mph shy of
hurricane strength. Ida was located approximately 230 miles southeast
of Cozumel, Mexico and 230 miles south of the western tip of Cuba as
of 1 p.m. Hurricane watches were in effect for the Yucatan Peninsula
of Mexico from Tulum to Cabo Catoche, while tropical storm warnings
were issued for Grand Cayman Island, the Cuban Province of Pinar Del
Rio and for areas from Punta Allen to northward to San Felipe in the
Yucatan Peninsula. Ida will likely pass east of Cancun Sunday as a
hurricane.

WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS BY ACCU WEATHER

Record Highs Set Friday:
Location New Record Old/Tied Record
-Williston, N.D. 70
(69/1954)
-Dickinson, N.D. 76
(72/1980)
-Bismarck, N.D. 72
(tied/1954)
-Minot, N.D. 75 (70/1949)
-Rapid City, S.D. 77 (75/2004)
-Yankton, S.D. 80 (78/1887)
-Sidney, Neb. 80 (75/1969)
-Broken Bow, Neb. 82 (81/1931)
-Valentine, Neb. 81
(78/1909)
-Miles City, Mont. 77
(73/1999)
-Glasgow, Mont. 71
(tied/1931)
-Childress, Texas 87
(86/1980)
-Sierra Vista, Ariz. 84
(83/1988)
-Safford, Ariz. 86
(85/1977)
Peak 24-Hour Wind Gusts in the Northwest as of 9 a.m. PST
24-Hour Rainfall Totals as of
Saturday (mph): 9
a.m. PST Sat. (inches):

Cut Bank, Mont. 60

Livingston, Mont. 54

Lewistown, Mont. 53

Great Falls, Mont. 51

Billings, Mont. 53

Jordan, Mont. 49

Idaho Falls, Idaho 43

Douglas, Wyo. 59

Big Piney, Wyo. 52

Casper, Wyo. 47

Rawlins, Wyo. 48

Spokane, Wash. 43

Pasco, Wash. 40

Pullman, Wash. 40

Hoquiam, Wash. 43

Wenatchee, Wash. 41

Shelton, Wash. 1.78

Olympia, Wash. 1.42

Seattle, Wash. 1.27

Renton, Wash. 1.12

Tacoma/McChord AFB, Wash. 1.04

Astoria, Ore. 0.64

Salem, Ore. 0.60

Hoquiam, Wash. 0.60

DAILY EXTREMES

National High Today (through 3 pm) 89 at Gage, Oklahoma
National Low Today (through 3 pm) 18 at Bryce Canyon, Utah
International High (last 24 hours) 106 at Kassala, Sudan
International Low (last 24 hours) -47 at Verkhoyansk, Russia

COPYRIGHT 2009 ACCUWEATHER, INC

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