No 'November surprise' in Election Day forecast
Mostly clear skies, but swing states could see rain or snow
By Peter Dykstra
CNN
 |  Weather could affect turnout as voters cast ballots for Sen. John Kerry or President Bush. |
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(CNN) -- Over much of the United States, bad weather won't be available as a handy excuse for not voting Tuesday.
High-pressure systems over the western United States and off the Atlantic Coast are expected to deliver an Election Day promise of good weather.
But a few swing states may not see clear skies, according to the National Weather Service:
• Oregon's largest cities may see rain for much of the day, with a forecast high of 55 degrees for Portland.
• Rain could be a minor factor in much of western Pennsylvania and eastern Ohio, and in most of West Virginia.
• Morning rain and temperatures in the 40s could greet Michigan voters, with clearer skies on the way by noontime.
• Eastern Pennsylvania and all of New Jersey will start the day with cloudy skies, with rain closing in during the late afternoon and evening.
If you happen to be in, say, Crawford, Texas, expect a high of 62, with a 30 percent chance of rain. Boston? Showers, high of 52. Baghdad? Cloudy and 77.
The weather will likely be warm and pleasant in another critical swing state, Florida. Miami will top out near 90, with a chance of the traditional South Florida afternoon shower.
The weather in Alaska -- where a tight race could decide the balance of the U.S. Senate -- won't be a November surprise, either. Anchorage will top out at 25 degrees, and the National Weather Service is calling for a high temperature between 5 above zero and 10 below zero in Barrow, on the Arctic Ocean.
Very few swing-state locales will see cold November weather: New Mexico and Colorado voters might wake up to sub-freezing temperatures, with an inch of snow possible in eastern New Mexico. International Falls, in the woods of northern Minnesota, could be in the 20s overnight.
In the New Hampshire mountain resort town of Dixville Notch, roughly two dozen voters traditionally cast their ballots at midnight, drawing international media and earning a distinction as the nation's earliest voters. But with millions of votes already cast in this election, the forecast for Dixville Notch tonight is for temperatures in the 20s -- cold, and maybe a bit lonely.
