The Nation's Weather - ABC News A pair of storms will buffet sections of the nation Sunday to open the New Year. The first storm will begin the day over Minnesota and Wisconsin before heading into eastern Canada. The storm will strengthen as the day progresses, but most of the intense winter weather will fall to the north of the Great Lakes. Moderate snow is expected to fall in the upper Midwest and winter weather advisories are posted for the area in anticipation of between 3 and 5 inches of snow. This will make travel difficult, especially in the early morning hours. Windy conditions will also accompany this storm as many areas experience gusts to 30 mph. The Weather Underground forecast for Monday, Jan. 2, 2012 says a cold storm will roll through the East, dropping temperatures well below normal for many areas. Snow will continue in the Upper Midwest and Northeast, with the greatest amounts from lake effect. Rain and high elevation snow is likely in the Northwest. (AP Photo/Weather Underground) Close The second storm to affect the country will graze the Northwest coast. While a direct hit is not expected, areas of western Oregon and Washington will receive mostly rain and some high-elevation snow into Sunday afternoon. A large high pressure system will keep much of the rest of the West dry. With the dry ending to December, California has experienced one of its driest Decembers on record. Temperatures in the Northeast will rise into the 30s and 40s, while the Southeast will see readings in the 60s and 70s. The mercury on the northern Plains will rise into the 20s and 30s, while Northwest temperatures will be in the 30s and 40s. Temperatures in the Lower 48 states ranged Saturday from a morning low of 1 degrees at Orr, Minn., to a high of 83 degrees at Edinburg, Texas. Online: Weather Underground: http://www.wunderground.com National Weather Service: http://iwin.nws.noaa.gov Intellicast: http://www.intellicast.com