Huge weekend storm hits east
A developing storm system will bring widespread rain, damaging winds, severe storm surge and even snow to the eastern half of the United States this weekend.
A complex weather situation is developing in the eastern half of the United States this weekend, as an emerging storm system will bring widespread rainfall, damaging winds, severe storms, and even areas of snow.
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The FOX Forecast Center is predicting a fairly damaging storm that will impact millions of Americans, creating travel issues and leading to power outages along the East Coast.
“A weekend in December with travel, and Atlanta is in the crosshairs,” FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin said of the crowded travel hub. “You can do the math on that.”
The expected impacts come as the lowest level of low pressure exits the western United States on Friday, leading to the development of a surface low over the central Plains. This initial drop will start the event with widespread rain and some snow in the upper Midwest by Saturday, the FOX Forecast Center said.
Widespread heavy rains extend to the east of the country
Moderate to heavy rain is likely over a wide area starting Friday from the Gulf Coast to the Great Lakes and eastward toward the East Coast.
A flood watch is in effect Sunday afternoon through Monday afternoon for eastern Adirondacks and central and northern Vermont, including the Champlain Valley.
Flash flooding will be a concern along the Gulf Coast into parts of the central Mississippi and lower Ohio valleys on Saturday, while the threat shifts east from the Florida Panhandle into the mid-Atlantic and much of the Northeast on Sunday.
How heavy is the rain?
The rapid movement of this system will help limit rainfall totals. However, significant moisture and sufficient instability should support precipitation rates high enough to raise some flooding concerns, the FOX Forecast Center said.
Dangerously strong winds blow on Sunday and Monday
Gusty winds are likely to develop over parts of the Rockies and Plains on Saturday due to the sharp difference in pressure between the undulating cold front and strong high pressure over the interior west. Wind speeds are expected to range between 30 and 40 miles per hour in these areas.
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Strong winds are then expected to develop along the Mid-Atlantic and New England coasts late Sunday into Monday, with 50-70 mph gusts possible near the coast.
These wind speeds could be high enough to create major travel issues at major airport hubs over the weekend, and power outages are possible across multiple states.
Snow is expected in the Great Lakes region and the interior Northeast
Some snow will be possible on the northwest side of the low from the north-central Plains and Midwest to the Great Lakes on Friday and Saturday.
Because of limited moisture remaining behind the system and cold air not arriving quickly enough, snow totals will be limited to 1-3 inches for most locations in the northern Plains. Some snow could also fall after the system passes, especially over the Great Lakes into the Appalachians, the Fox Forecast Center said.
As cold air pushes behind the low on Sunday night, rain is expected to turn to snow across the interior of the Northeast.
Upstate New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, New Hampshire and Maine could see snow accumulating Sunday evening and continuing into Monday morning. Overall snowfall of 1-3 inches is likely with locally higher amounts in favored slope areas and higher elevation areas. The Fox Forecast Center said no major impacts from the snow appear likely.
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“The (Interstate) 95 corridor, it's a bust if you like snow. It's a pro if you like the 60s, but it's going to come with the rain,” Merwin said. “Sunday, even though it will be mild, you will be inside your house. And Sunday night, we start to cool things down, but it's still above freezing for the 95 corridor.”
Serious air threats in the south
This storm will also bring the potential for severe weather to the south.
The FOX Forecast Center said some severe storms could develop Friday night in parts of the Ark-La-Tex area and near the Ozarks as moisture flows off the Gulf of Mexico.
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By Saturday, with enough moisture and strong wind shear — the change in wind speed and direction with height — a greater threat of severe thunderstorms could materialize. Tornadoes, damaging winds, and large hail are expected from eastern Texas into Louisiana, Arkansas, western Mississippi and western Tennessee.
“We probably won't see this traditional development of supercells,” Merwin emphasized. “But when you have a line of thunderstorms, and you're basically tracking threatening winds, sometimes we can have these fast tornadoes along that line. And these tornadoes are tricky. And they happen fast.”
Severe weather threatens East and South Texas as a powerful storm sweeps through the region this weekend
It appears some severe weather threats will remain as the overall system turns eastward on Sunday, according to the FOX Prediction Center. Computer forecast models indicate that the central and eastern Carolinas up to the Delmarva Peninsula may be at risk from a few strong to severe storms.
