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Clear sky in the East; Cold front moves into the Central Plains

The Associated Press
Friday May 24, 2002

A high pressure system along the mid-Atlantic coast brought sunny skies to much of the East on Thursday afternoon. 

Light showers fell on the east coast of Florida, with some areas reporting strong winds. 

The Great Lakes and Ohio River Valley were also windy as a cold front approached from the west. 

In the central states, an area of low pressure moved across northern Minnesota. A cold front extended from the low into the central Plains and moved little during the day. 

Clouds hung over Texas north to Wisconsin. Winds in the central Plains averaged 25 miles per hour with gusts over 40. 

A few light rain and snow showers were found across the Dakotas and Minnesota with temperatures in the 30s and 40s. In Iowa and Illinois, rain and a few thunderstorms moved through. Showers and thunderstorms also developed near the Red River in northern Texas and western Oklahoma. 

The West was mostly cloudy from northern Wyoming through Idaho and Montana. 

In the Pacific northwest, clouds gathered along the coasts of Washington and northern Oregon. California and the Desert Southwest were mostly clear and mild. 

Temperatures on Thursday afternoon in the Lower 48 states ranged from a low of 20 in Big Piney, Wyo., to a high of 93 in Wink, Texas.