SEATTLE, Dec. 12 (UPI) -- It was a good night to stay home Thursday as storms brought various unpleasant combinations of wind, rain and snow from the Pacific Northwest to the Carolinas, which were bogged down by a major ice storm just last week.
The blustery conditions came as the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration predicted that El Nino would be responsible for continued wet weather in the West and South this winter along with warmer and drier conditions in the Midwest and New England.
"El Nino most strongly impacts U.S. weather patterns during the winter by shifting the jet stream and storm track toward the southern tier of the country," said Jim Laver, director of NOAA's Climate Research Center. "As a result, increased storminess is expected across the southern United States."
National Weather Service Director Jack Kelly said that despite the stormy conditions, the El Nino was actually arriving at an opportune time in areas that could use the rain.
"Over time, these precipitation patterns can reduce lingering drought conditions that have plagued the southeast and southwest in recent years," said Kelly, adding: "Drought may intensify in the northern Rockies and parts of the Midwest."
The Southeast was indeed being buffeted by stormy weather on Thursday with showers and gusty winds reported over a wide swath from Florida to east Texas and southern Oklahoma. Steady rain and temperatures in the lower 40s were found over much of the Deep South.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning south of Diboll, Texas and for areas outside of Houston.
North Carolina continued to clean up after a second ice storm that ravaged the electric power system. Duke Power said late Thursday that nearly 39,000 customers were without power and many would be without lights, television and possibly heat until Friday.
"The next 24 hours will be a challenge," admitted Duke Vice President E.O. Ferrell. "We're restoring individual homes at this point. We never know what we're going to encounter, and troubleshooting homes one-by-one takes more time."
North Carolina was blanketed with ice on Dec. 5 as a powerful storm roared up the Eastern seaboard, which prompted Gov. Mike Easley to convene a meeting Thursday on ways to improve the state's emergency responses to winter storms.
"We need to look at things like tree-trimming to see if that's a cause of the problem being as large as it is," he told reporters.
"We also have to look at the cost-benefit of burying (power) cables."
Most of the chilly Carolinians, however, just wanted to get back to normal after spending a week of evenings in candlelight.
"We know that more than a week without power creates a hardship," said Ferrell. "Many of our customers have demonstrated kindness and patience beyond anything we've ever seen."
The West Coast was bracing Thursday night for a storm that debuted Thursday morning in the Puget Sound with fierce winds and heavy rain that made the Seattle commute a nightmare in both directions.
Wind gusts above 50 miles per hour were reported on bucolic Whidbey Island just north of Seattle, and gale warnings remained in effect along the Pacific Coast.
"A very complex weather pattern is expected over the next several days with several strong storm systems expected to affect the area," the National Weather Service said.
Heavy snow was predicted overnight at the higher mountain elevations, and people in the San Francisco Bay Area were on alert for gusty 30 mph winds and heavy surf along the coast through the weekend as the weather system moved south.
(Reported by Hil Anderson in Los Angeles.)
