Much of Nation Needs Umbrellas

Rain fell from the Ohio Valley into Florida on Sunday, withthunderstorms in the Southeast states. Light snow was scatteredover parts of the Northwest.

Thunderstorms developed during the afternoon across Alabama,southern Georgia and northern Florida, with the area of heaviest rainmoving from the Gulf of Mexico into northern Florida.

Hail the diameter of quarters was reported in parts of centralGeorgia and in the Florida Panhandle.More rain was associated with an area of low pressure centeredover the lower Ohio Valley.Locally heavy rain fell from western Tennessee northward acrossKentucky into southern Indiana.West and north of the low, rain showers were possible fromMissouri into Michigan, with a chance of snow and rain mixed overnorthern Michigan.A few light rain and snow showers were scattered over thePacific Northwest as the jet stream pulled moist air through theregion.Sunday's temperatures around the Lower 48 states ranged from amorning low of 6 below zero at Garrison, N.D., to an early afternoonreading of 89 at Miami.Weather QuizMarquette, Mich., has picked up 205 inches of snow this winterseason. Most of that has come from:A) Blizzards.B) Alberta clippers.C) Lake effect.D) Canada.Answer: (C), (D). Icy Canadian winds passing over the waters ofLake Superior are capable of dropping huge amounts of snow downwindover Michigan's Upper Peninsula.Weather FactIn Hancock, Mich., 304 inches of snow piled up this past winter.A reminder: We got a paltry 24 inches.