The nation's weather

The country's midsection could start the workweek with some active weather on Monday because of a storm system in the Southern Plains that is expected to move into the Mid-Mississippi Valley.

The system was forecast to remain situated over the Mid-Mississippi Valley throughout much of the day while it's associated frontal boundary extends southward to the Gulf Coast.

Moisture from the Gulf of Mexico was expected to interact with the front to produce numerous showers and isolated thunderstorms through the day. The heaviest amounts of precipitation were expected near the Gulf Coast. Persistent rainfall could yield to areas of local flooding near streams and rivers.

Meanwhile, flow around the system was expected to produce rain showers in the Ohio Valley and snow showers in the eastern areas of the Central Plains. Travel difficulties could be encountered due to snowfall in the eastern regions of Nebraska and Kansas.

In the West, light to moderate rainfall and high elevation snowfall was forecast to persist in the Pacific Northwest as another front approached the coast.

Fair and dry weather was expected to remain over California and the Central Great Basin due to a lingering ridge of high pressure. Offshore flow associated with this ridge could translate into warmer temperatures and strong windsin southern California.

Elsewhere, tranquil weather were expected to persist in the eastern third of the nation due to high pressure.

On Sunday, temperatures in the Lower 48 states ranged from a low of -7 degrees at Lake Yellowstone, Wyo. to a high of 89 degrees at Laredo, Texas.