Posted: $util.date("h:mm a MMM d, yyyy",$story.contentLiveDate,$timeZone)
Reporter: AP

As much of this week's wintry weather winds down in the East, wet and windy weather will ramp up in the West on Wednesday as a vigorous eastern Pacific frontal system reaches the Northwest Coast by the morning. This system will pack plenty of moisture and energy as it pushes ashore and will cause rain and high elevation snow falling in the Northwest and northern California to intensify through the afternoon. Expect periods of widespread rain, locally heavy at times, chances of afternoon and evening thunderstorms, increased winds in the lowlands with gusts in excess of 50 mph, and heavy high elevation snow with the passing of the system's cold front. In the Olympics and Cascades of western Washington, snow levels are expected to fall to as low as 500-1,000 feet by Wednesday night, with storm total snowfalls of 12 to 18 inches possible in the Olympics and 2 to 3 feet possible in the Cascades. Heightened active weather conditions will spread further inland across the Intermountain West through the day and reaching to the Northern and Central Rockies by Wednesday night into Thursday. Winter Storm Warnings will continue for the mountains of western Washington through Thursday morning, while various Wind Advisories and High Wind Watches continue for portions of the Coast and Intermountain West through late Wednesday night and for the Rockies through Thursday afternoon.
East of the Continental Divide, cold, well below normal temperatures will continue across the Midwest and Northeast, while lake-effect snow showers continue to blanket downwind areas in the Great Lakes and the Northeast. Locally heavy snow accumulation is expected across the snow belts, with significant blowing and drifting snow possible. This activity should wind down during the next couple of days as high pressure moves over the area and leads the northeastern quadrant of the nation into a sunnier, yet chilly weekend..
TUESDAY'S WEATHER EXTREMES:
HIGHEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F)..............95 Laredo, Texas
HIGHEST HEAT INDEX (DEGREES F)..................95 McAllen, Texas
LOWEST TEMPERATURE (DEGREES F).............-11 Langdon, N.D.
LOWEST WIND CHILL (DEGREES F).............-49 Deadhorse, Alaska
HIGHEST WIND GUST (MPH)..................61 Copper Mountain, Colo.
HIGHEST PRECIPITATION (INCHES)..........1.91 Key West NAF, Fla
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ON THIS DATE....... On this date in 1948, an F3 tornado moved through Tinker Air Force Base in Oklahoma City, destroying 52 aircraft. Attempting to learn a lesson from the tornado, the people in charge of the base ordered forecasters to look into the future to see if a tornado was possible. Another tornado crossed the prepared base on March 25th, causing minimal damage due to accurate forecasting.

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