Rain in the East; tornados possible in Oklahoma

Scattered showers fell across New England and the mid-Atlantic early Tuesday, while thunderstorms swept over the Plains and cool air hovered near the Pacific Northwest.

Eastern New York, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, Vermont, New Hampshire, Maine and Connecticut were forecast to see showers and winds of up to 30 mph.

Morning showers and thunderstorms also were falling on Nebraska, Kansas, western Oklahoma and western Texas and were expected to spread east into the Plains by afternoon.

The strongest storms were expected to affect Nebraska, Kansas, northern Texas and Oklahoma, with the possibility of winds in excess of 70 mph, large hail, frequent lightning, heavy downpours and isolated tornadoes.

More scattered showers and thunderstorms were expected in the South, Southeast and Carolinas, some with strong winds, hail, lightning and heavy downpours.

Over Florida, scattered showers and thunderstorms were developing. Scattered showers were falling over the Great Lakes with skies expected to clear in the afternoon.

More showers were predicted in the Dakotas and into the Mississippi Valley with high winds, heavy rain, frequent lightning and hail.

In the West, scattered showers and strong thunderstorms were predicted in parts of Colorado, southeastern Wyoming and northeastern New Mexico. A tornado Monday crushed trailer homes, sprayed hail and injured 18 people in southern Colorado.

California was expected to stay dry and sunny with temperatures reaching into the 100s in parts of the Southwest.

Highs on Tuesday were forecast in the 50s and 60s in the northern Great Lakes; in the 60s and 70s in the Northeast, New England, the southern Great Lakes and Ohio Valley, Kansas and Iowa; in the 70s and 80s across the East, Central Plains and mid-Mississippi Valley; in the 90s in eastern and southern Florida, southern Georgia, Southern Plains and lower Mississippi Valley; and in the 100s in the Southwest.

Temperatures across the Lower 48 states Monday ranged from a high of 103 degrees in Fort Stockton, Texas, to a low of 31 degrees in Yellowstone, Wyo.

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On the Net:

National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov

Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com

University of Michigan site: http://yang.sprl.umich.edu/wxnet