Eastern U.S. Blitzed by Strong Severe and Wintry Storms
Wintry weather will stretch from the central Plains and Midwest to the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast today through Thursday while hefty severe storms and heavy rain hit the South.
As Tuesday's winter storm winds down on the East Coast this morning, the next system will begin to gather strength in the central U.S. Snow and a wintry mix will spread across the central Plains, Midwest, and Northeast today into tonight, with wintry precipitation lingering across the Northeast on Thursday. The interior parts of the Mid-Atlantic will also be dealing with ice and a wintry mix today before changing over to rain tonight, and the Deep South is in line to receive sturdy severe storms through the day.
In the storm system's warm sector, heavy rain and severe thunderstorms will be a major concern both today and Thursday. The best chance for severe weather will be today across the Deep South, where the Storm Prediction Center has an Enhanced Risk for severe storms stretching from part of Louisiana's big toe to the central Alabama-Georgia border. Heavy winds and several tornadoes, some strong, are likely, with hail possible in Mississippi. The most threatened cities include Montgomery and Auburn, Ala., as well as Hattiesburg and Meridian, Miss.
Additionally, a Slight Risk for severe storms from eastern Louisiana and southern Mississippi to Alabama, western Georgia, and the western Florida Panhandle. This threat area for a few tornadoes and some severe wind gusts includes New Orleans, Jackson, Miss., Mobile, Ala., and Atlanta.
Tornado Watches remain in place across southern Mississippi and southern Alabama, including Hattiesburg, Miss., and Montgomery and Mobile, Ala.
Heavy rain and flooding will also be a concern over the next two days, with widespread rainfall of 1 to 2 inches and localized amounts of up to 3 inches from Louisiana and Mississippi to northern Florida and the western Carolinas. Flash Flood Watches can be found across northern Louisiana, central Mississippi, northern Alabama, northern Georgia, and the eastern parts of Tennessee and Kentucky.
Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories are in effect from Colorado and the Texas Panhandle through the central Plains, most of the Midwest and Northeast, and across the central Appalachians.
Widespread snowfall of 3 to 8 inches will fall from Kansas and eastern Nebraska northeastward through Iowa, northern Missouri, northern Illinois, southern Wisconsin, and most of Michigan. Similar amounts will fall across northern New York and far northern New England. A few spots could receive locally higher amounts of 8 to 12 inches through Thursday.
Ice amounts will mainly be light from the Texas Panhandle and Oklahoma up through the Ohio Valley, Northeast, and central Appalachians, with a glaze to 0.1 inches of ice accretion. A few pockets of more persistent freezing rain will likely result in ice accretion up to 0.3 inches. This includes the ridgetops of the central Appalachians, parts of northern Indiana and northwestern Ohio, and some of the higher elevations of the interior Northeast.
Be sure to check back throughout the week for the latest as the active weather pattern continues for the eastern U.S.
