The Nation's Weather

Forecasters predicted heavy rain in New England and cooler temperatures throughout the Northeast on Friday, while rain was also expected east of the Great Lakes and in much of California.

A storm system was expected to move up the eastern seaboard from the Mid-Atlantic coast to north of Maine, bringing particularly heavy rain to New England.

A second system in the northern U.S. was expected to bring rain to the area east of the Great Lakes as well as bringing scattered showers to the Ohio Valley.

Colder air was expected in the Northeast.

The Plains were expected to be dry, with the exception of some possible scattered showers in the northern Plains.

In the West, a system was expected to bring rain to much of the state, with some snow possible in the Sierra Nevadas.

High temperatures the Southern Plains and Southwest were expected to reach into the 80s and 90s, while the Northeast was expected see temperatures only in the 40s to the 60s.

Temperatures in the Great Lakes region were expected to reach the 40s and 50s, while the Northwest was expected to see temperatures in the 60s.

Temperatures in the Lower 48 states Thursday ranged from a low of 20 degrees at Winnemucca, Nev., to a high of 98 degrees at Wink, Texas.

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On the Net:

Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com

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

Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com