A Pacific storm was expected to slam into the West Coast on Sunday, ending a long dry spell in California as it brings rain and snow to the higher elevations.

Winter weather advisories were posted for the western slopes of the Sierra Nevada, where as much as a foot of new snow is expected. Rain could make its way into Southern California late in the day and into Monday.

Farther to the north, snow was expected to fall in Idaho and Montana before creeping into the Dakotas late Sunday. Winter weather advisories were posted for much of the area in anticipation of up to 10 inches of snow and wind gusts as high as 25 mph.

The Northeast will remain dry, but low temperatures will prevent snow from the latest snowstorm from melting.

Temperatures in the Northeast will be in the 20s and 30s, and the Southeast will warm into the 50s, 60s and 70s. The Northern Plains will rise into the 10s and 20s; temperatures in the 30s and 40s are expected in the Northwest.

Meanwhile, a low-pressure system was expected to develop Sunday along the Gulf Coast. Rain will fall from eastern Texas through Alabama and the Florida Panhandle.

Source: Associated Press