Wednesday's forecast: Storms continue in West

Rain and snow will be the big weather story in the West on Wednesday while other storms bother the Northeast and southern Plains.

West: Coastal rain and mountain snow will fall across much of the western third of the nation on Wednesday. California will see the heaviest precipitation, more good news for the drought-plagued state.

Plains: A fairly weak storm will bring showers to portions of Texas and the Southern Plains.

Northeast, Great Lakes: A wintry mix of snow and a cold rain will make for a dreary day around the Great Lakes and interior portions of the Northeast.

Weather history for Dec. 17: In 1989, bitter cold spread across the Ohio Valley, with record lows in Cincinnati (-9 degrees) and Pittsburgh (-6 degrees). In 2000, winds howled to 78 mph in New Bedford, Mass.

In 2008, almost three feet of snow fell in parts of Idaho.