(AP) -- Two big weather events spread toward the nation's coasts early Tuesday, with one dumping rain and sleet on the East Coast and another bringing another round of wet weather to the West Coast.
A storm system over the Mississippi Valley was to advance eastward, pushing a wide area of rain across the East. Heavier rain was likely for the Tennessee Valley, where up to 2 inches of rainfall was possible.
In addition, moderate to locally heavy snowfall with some ice formation was forecast for parts of the Applications and higher elevations of New York and New England.
With cold air ushering behind the system, the central U.S. can expect a large temperature plunge. Southern Texas will see afternoon highs dropping as much as 20 to 25 degrees.
Moderate to heavy coastal rain and higher elevation snow was expected to persist over the Northwest, especially over the Oregon coast and extreme northwestern California.
Farther east, the existing Pacific energy and moisture was forecast to spark light to moderate snow and lower elevation rain over the Rockies and parts of the High Plains.
Dry and tranquil weather was expected over the southwestern and central U.S. as high pressure builds across the region.
Temperatures along the Lower 48 states on Monday ranged from a low of minus-21 degrees at Stanley, Idaho, to a high of 90 degrees at Laredo, Texas. | 
