NATIONAL SUMMARY 3 P.M. Eastern Wednesday, January 7, 1998 --The weather continued to resemble April rather than January east of the Mississippi today. Combined with abundant moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, a storm system moving near the Mississippi Valley produced drenching showers and thunderstorms with damaging winds and hail and flooding downpours from the Ohio River Valley to the Gulf Coast States. Closer to the East Coast, a couple of showers dampened the Carolinas and Virginia while a little rain, drizzle and fog plagued the Northeast. Temperatures continued to remain well above normal as well, locations as far north as Michigan and New York failed to drop below 50 last night and thermometers were in the 50s and 60s this afternoon around the Ohio Valley and Mid-Atlantic. --In contrast, colder air restricted thermometers to more seasonable levels in the teens and 20s across the Dakotas and Minnesota this Wednesday. Cooler air surged as far south as Texas where cities like San Antonio and Houston struggled to highs in the 50s. --High pressure near the Four Corners provided dry weather from Colorado to Southern California today while Pacific moisture continued to stream inland farther north. From Central California to Washington, a couple of showers fell while snow continued in the Cascades and Sierras. A LOOK AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER MAP --As of 2pm EST, a storm (29.48) is over Mississippi. A cold front from this storm dangles south into the Gulf of Mexico while a warm front probes northeast along the Ohio Valley and ultimately into New England. Another storm (29.76) over eastern Washington features a stationary front stretching into the Dakotas with a cold front exploring southwestward into northern California. High pressure is over Utah (30.20). SPECIAL WEATHER Severe weather over the Southeast... Flooding rains have hit many locations along the western and central Gulf Coast region eastward into the Carolinas since Monday. There has also been strong thunderstorm winds and hail over the region. Hail to 4 inches fell yesterday over northeastern Texas. There have been spots in northwestern South Carolina receiving 5 inches of rain since early this morning. One spot at Slidell, Louisiana picked up 6.17 inches of rain in 24 hours. A line of severe thunderstorms is currently moving eastward across the Florida Panhandle and eastern Alabama. The Panama City and Apalachicola areas were under the gun between Noon and 3 p.m. this afternoon. INTERNATIONAL WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS A major ice storm has hit southern Quebec, Canada. In Montreal, an inch of rain fell Tuesday and Tuesday night with temperatures in the 20s, putting a thick layer of ice on all surfaces. Traffic was snarled and roads closed. There was tremendous damage to trees and powerlines and power was cut to 650,000 households. Some people may be without power for days. Torrential rains have drenched Puerto Rico over the past couple of days. San Juan has had 5.61 inches. WEATHER HIGHLIGHTS BY ACCU WEATHER Record warmth over the East continues... A record high has already been broken very early today in Youngstown, OH. The day started at 54 which broke the record of 52 set in 1946. However, the temperature by Noon had climbed to 58. Harrisburg, Pa. has warmed to 64 this afternoon. This smashed the old record of 62 set in 1946. Raleigh/Durham, NC had a record warm minimum today of 63 this broke the old record of 59 set in 1946. Date rainfall records yesterday in the Arklatex region Shreveport, LA 2.46 2.07 in 1979 Monroe, LA 3.20 2.67 in 1936 Lufkin, TX 5.63 1.80 in 1934 Texarkana, AR 2.73 2.37 in 1991 Heavy rain continues to pummel the Southeast... 24-hour rainfall amounts ending at 7 a.m. EST this morning include (inches): 6 hours amounts ending at 7 a.m. in brackets Lake Charles, LA 3.50 Baton Rouge, LA 3.68 Monroe, LA 4.90 Mobile, AL 2.64 Columbia, MS 3.64 Alexandria, LA 3.40 Belle Chasse, LA 4.17 New Orleans, LA 4.45 (3.34) Slidell, LA 5.36 Laurel, MS 4.35 DAILY EXTREMES National High Today 82 degrees at Naples, Florida National Low Today -12 degrees at Alamosa, Colorado International High 110 at Perth, Australia International Low -61 at Churapcha, Russia WEATHER HISTORY 1886- Severe cold wave in South; worst freeze since 1835 in Florida. 1971- Minus 40 degrees in Hawley Lake, AZ -- coldest ever in Arizona. 1973- Mixed freezing rain, sleet and snow in Atlanta, GA led to 1-4 inch ice accumulation (from 7th to 8th). Three hundred thousand people were without electricity for up to a week. 1992- A blizzard paralyzed Denver, CO with 14.5 inches of snow (from 7th to 8th) -- a new 24-hour record for January. Strong winds led to substantial drifting. 1998 AccuWeather, Inc., 619 W. College Ave., State College, PA 16801