CNN Weather
Multiple weather threats will unfold across the eastern half of the United States from Friday into Monday.
CNN
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A widespread storm is set to impact much of the eastern half of the United States this weekend with heavy rain, severe thunderstorms, strong winds and even snow.
The weekend storm will begin to take shape on Friday as a low pressure area develops in the southern Plains. The remaining energy from a deadly atmospheric river in the northwest earlier this week will reach the central United States and strengthen the developing storm.
Any weather impact from the storm will stop until late Friday When they are better organized and move out of the southern plains into the Midwest.
From there, the storm's impact will grow significantly, with heavy rain, thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching the entire East throughout the weekend.
As the storm intensifies and expands on Saturday, severe weather will extend more than 1,200 miles from the Gulf Coast to the Canadian border.
CNN Weather
Severe thunderstorms are likely in parts of the south on Saturday.
Thunderstorms will come alive Friday night with a small window in which isolated severe thunderstorms could develop in parts of Oklahoma, Arkansas and Texas, before threatening the south on Saturday.
A major thunderstorm will begin across parts of the South by Saturday morning as a cold front associated with the storm crosses eastward through the region. Some of these thunderstorms can become severe and produce damaging wind gusts and hail. A slight risk, or Level 2 of 5, for severe thunderstorms is expected in parts of Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi, especially Saturday afternoon.
As the chances of damaging thunderstorms increase Saturday afternoon, the storm will also spread rain across a wide portion of the country from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest. Rain will begin in the early hours of Saturday across parts of the Midwest and Mississippi Valley and spread eastward throughout the day.
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The rain will become steady as the day progresses and may become heavy at times, especially in the southern regions. Fortunately, the storm will likely move at a rapid pace that will prevent rainfall totals from rising significantly, but any heavy rainfall could cause flooding problems.
Gusty winds will also accompany any precipitation, even outside of thunderstorms.
A thin band of accumulating snow will likely fall Saturday from Wisconsin to Michigan's Upper Peninsula, but this will be a mostly rain event across much of the Midwest.
The storm will reach its maximum strength By the afternoon it expands and swallows much of the east. Winds from the storm will be slightly stronger on Sunday than on Saturday and could lead to power outages and travel disruption.
Widespread winds of 40 to 50 mph will hit the central Atlantic and Northeast. Gusts will surge higher and reach 60 mph at times Sunday night in New England and coastal parts of New York and New Jersey.
CNN Weather
Wind gusts are forecast for Sunday evening in the eastern region.
Strong winds, especially when combined with heavy rain, may cause some trees to fall and cause power outages. Strong winds and rain may also disrupt air travel through the busy corridor and cause drivers to slow down.
The strongest winds may blow away any unsafe holiday decorations outdoors.
Rain will be the main type of precipitation from Florida to New England, with widespread rainfall amounts likely ranging from 1 to 2 inches. Higher totals are possible for areas flooded by multiple rounds of heavy rain.
Some thunderstorms will be part of the rainy area, even in the north. Some thunderstorms may become severe on Sunday, and an area from Georgia to Virginia will likely endure a group of damaging storms.
Rain may change to wet snow across high elevations in West Virginia, Pennsylvania and New York on Sunday evening as cold air pushes to the east on the back side of the storm.
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Parts of New England could turn into a wintry mix of rain, snow and freezing rain late Sunday night and continue for some time Monday.
Exact shift times and snow amounts will depend on how quickly cold air rushes into the area.
The storm is scheduled to begin moving off the East Coast on Monday, but rain and snow will continue across much of New England and parts of upstate New York through the afternoon before subsiding in the evening. The rainy and windy weather will end in New York City Monday afternoon while gusty winds slowly subside elsewhere in the Northeast, with the exception of New England.
It will be much colder on Monday in the eastern half of the country in the wake of the storm. The temperature difference between Monday and weekend temperatures is higher than the average temperature in December It will be more visible from southeast to northeast.
