Snow, rain, possible tornadoes this weekend
Editor’s note: Follow USA TODAY’s coverage of severe weather amid holiday travel for Saturday, December 28.
Relentless storms are forecast to lash the Northwest this weekend as the East Coast braces for severe weather that could delay flights and snarl traffic during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.
A day after tornadoes broke out across Texas and Louisiana, a stretch of the Southeast encompassing Texas, northern Florida and the Carolinas could see flooding rain, hail and tornadoes from Friday on through the weekend, according to the National Weather Service.
No injuries or significant damage were reported in the wake of Thursday’s storms, though the deluge flooded streets, grounded flights and led Texas Gov. Greg Abbott to activate state emergency-response resources, citing an “increased severe weather threat.”
Nearly 800 flights within, in and out of the U.S. were canceled Thursday, most of them at airports in eastern Texas, including at Dallas/Fort Worth International Airport, where flights were temporarily grounded. By Friday evening, 126 flights within, into or out of the country were canceled, according to FlightAware, and over 5,700 flights were delayed.
Forecasters say a new storm system will barrel across the eastern U.S., bringing dangerous weather conditions from the Gulf Coast states to Ohio and New York through Sunday.
AccuWeather meteorologists warned enough cold air would linger to raise the risk of patchy ice over the Northeast. From Friday night to Saturday morning, forecasters said a glaze of ice may appear in parts of Maryland, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont and New Hampshire.
Meanwhile, officials warned of heavy rain and snow causing dangerous travel conditions across much of the Pacific Northwest.
“Heavy snow combined with strong winds could lead to blowing and drifting snow with reduced visibility, and travel conditions may be very difficult to impossible,” the weather service said.
Storm threats had already reached parts of Mississippi and Alabama Friday, where some residents were under tornado warnings. The weather service warned some strong EF2+ tornadoes were possible in southeast Mississippi and southwest Alabama starting Saturday afternoon, and it urged residents to prepare ahead of time.
Meanwhile, most of the nation will experience abnormally warm temperatures over the weekend, the weather service forecasted, with highs reaching 15 to 25 degrees above average and lows at 20 to 30 degrees above average.
Waves of storms to soak the East Coast
A severe weather pattern that canceled hundreds of flights on Thursday is set to continue soaking the southeastern U.S. before a new system rushes across the region as it heads north.
From Saturday to Sunday, rain will continue to break out over the Mississippi and Tennessee Valley as thunderstorms expand over the Great Lakes and Northeast regions. Widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected, though forecasters warn up to 8 inches could fall in some areas.
On Sunday, as the storm pushes out of the U.S., the threat of powerful thunderstorms will extend along a cold front stretching from Ohio to northern Florida, according to AccuWeather. Major cities likely to face severe weather on Sunday include Atlanta; Charleston, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; and Jacksonville, Florida.
And while major metropolitan areas such as Washington D.C., Philadelphia and New York City are expected to avoid the worst conditions, downpours and gusty winds could limit visibility and disrupt travel, AccuWeather said.
Travel could become ‘impossible’ in the Northwest
A parade of storms that have dropped several inches of rain and snow across the Pacific Northwest is showing no signs of slowing.
Forecasters for the National Weather Service say squalls on Friday and Saturday could drop 3 to 5 inches of rain across Northern California, Oregon and Washington, and the highest points of elevation could see up to 3 feet of snow.
As the storms push inland, they will bring snow and winds as high as 45 mph to the Rockies. Much of the Northwest, from California to Wyoming, Idaho and Utah, is under winter storm warnings and other advisories cautioning those in the highlands to limit their travel. The wet weather also could cause river flooding as well as rock and mudslides.
“It is strongly recommended to alter travel plans during the storm. Travel is expected to become very difficult to impossible,” said an alert from the weather service office in Denver.
Contributing: Thao Nguyen, USA TODAY
(This story was updated to add additional information.)
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