Major weekend storm brings rain, snow and wind
Confidence is growing that a developing storm system will bring heavy snow, widespread rain and severe storms to the eastern half of the United States as we head into the weekend, the FFOX Forecast Center said.
Confidence is growing that a developing storm system will bring widespread snow and rain, severe storms and gusty winds to the eastern half of the country as we head into the weekend.
The FOX Forecast Center stresses that due to the abnormally high temperatures, the forecast will be somewhat complex, and the exact impacts will depend on a person's location.
Most of the rain will fall in liquid form, but the combination of gusty winds and the expanding nature of the storm system will likely cause travel disruption and power outages for millions of Americans.
As the system will rapidly deepen over the weekend, stormy conditions are expected to spread across the eastern part of the country. Some forecast models indicate that wind gusts between 50 and 70 mph could blow up the East Coast, especially the mid-Atlantic into New England on Sunday.
The forecast wind conditions will likely trigger alerts and result in many downed trees and power outages.
Gusty winds are likely to challenge even the best holiday decorations, and if not properly secured, they are likely to become airborne.
Christmas garden decorations sometimes just don't agree with Mother Nature
The FOX Forecast Center warns of high-speed winds this weekend. (Fox Weather)
Snow is expected along the Great Lakes region, northeast
On the north and rear side of the low pressure system, enough cold air is expected to be present that light snow can fall from the Great Lakes to the interior northeast.
Typically, light accumulations range from ground cover to about three inches.
Isolated higher amounts are expected to fall at higher elevations in the Northeast and along the immediate shores of the Great Lakes.
The best chance for freezing rain could come Sunday night into Monday morning as temperatures drop.
Forecast models show the potential for ice and even snow from Vermont and New Hampshire through the Appalachian Mountains into Tennessee and North Carolina.
Due to the warm temperatures along the coast, any precipitation along the I-95 corridor will be of the liquid variety.
For many counties affected by the snowfall, amounts are expected to remain below the National Weather Service's winter storm warning criteria.
Winter storm warning standards for us have been renewed by the National Weather Service
Computer models don't agree on where and when rain-snow changes. (Fox Weather)
Serious air threats in the south
The FOX Forecast Center said it is also monitoring the potential for severe weather in the South with this storm system. Some strong to severe storms may develop Friday night in parts of the Ark-La-Tex area and near the Ozarks as moisture flows off the Gulf of Mexico.
NOAA's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed the area at Level 1 out of 5 on its thunderstorm risk scale. This includes Tulsa and Broken Arrow in Oklahoma, Springfield in Missouri, and Fort Smith and Fayetteville in Arkansas.
By Saturday, a combination of increasing humidity and strong wind shear — the change in wind speed and direction with height — will create a greater threat for the development of severe thunderstorms. Tornadoes, damaging winds and hail will be possible from eastern Texas into Louisiana, Arkansas, western Mississippi and western Tennessee.
South soaking and intense over the weekend. (Fox Weather)
The area is at level 2 out of 5 on the SPC's thunderstorm risk scale. This includes cities Shreveport And Alexandria in louisiana, Small rock in arkansas, Jackson In Mississippi and Memphis in Tennessee.
El Niño weather patterns are known to produce stormy weather throughout the Southeast, but so far, the recent several storm systems have underperformed the computer forecast model.
The last outbreak of severe weather to affect the Gulf Coast was on November 20.
