Travelers beware: Severe weather forecast says storms, tornadoes and snow
Holiday travelers heading home this weekend could face severe weather in parts of the country, including an outbreak of tornados expected from the Southern Plains to the Southeast and an atmospheric river in the Northwest.
Millions of people were under tornado watches on Saturday in eastern Texas, much of Louisiana and parts of Mississippi and Arkansas. More serious tornado warnings (which are updated rapidly as threats appear and pass) were also issued in parts of Texas and Louisiana throughout the morning. The severe weather prompted forecasters to issue a rare "particularly dangerous situation" alert, reserved for when long-lived, strong and violent tornadoes are possible.
The weather threat is set to continue across the Southeast into Sunday, with the weather service warning of damaging winds and potential hail from north Florida through the Carolinas. The Ohio Valley may also see strong winds and thunderstorms.
On the other side of country, a deep low pressure system is expected to dump heavy rainfall over parts of the coastal Pacific Northwest, bringing with it threats of flash flooding in northern California and southern Oregon.
Meanwhile, much of the country will have higher-than-usual temperatures this weekend, with highs that are 15-25 degrees above average, and lows 20-30 degrees above average for this time of year.
Severe storms in the South
The stormy weather hitting the South could bring tornadoes, heavy wind gusts and hail, the Weather Prediction Center said Saturday. Parts of Texas, Louisiana and Mississippi were under tornado watches through 3 p.m. CT Saturday.
The ongoing thunderstorms from this week are expected to peak this weekend in south, according to AccuWeather. Rainfall alone might be enough to cause flash flooding in urban areas, AccuWeather said. Major cities facing severe weather on Saturday include Houston; New Orleans; Nashville; Jackson, Mississippi; and Birmingham, Alabama, the outlet said.
Storm activity will reach Alabama in the evening and overnight, with the central part of the state potentially vulnerable to tornadoes and up to 3 inches of rainfall. Be prepared for nighttime tornadoes, the weather service in Birmingham, Alabama, warned.
"Some tornadoes, if they do happen, could be potentially strong (EF2+), especially west of I-65 and south of I-22," it said.
As the storm shifts, AccuWeather said these cities could be impacted on Sunday: Atlanta; Charlotte; Charleston, West Virginia; Dover, Delaware; Richmond, Virginia; Bristol, Tennessee; Raleigh, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Jacksonville, Florida.
Storm to move eastward Sunday
The northeast is also expected to see some freezing rain on Saturday, forecasters said.
"Any amount of ice could lead to dangerous travel" on Saturday morning, the weather service in New York said.
After hitting the Southeast on Saturday with thunderstorms and tornadoes, heavy rain and storm potential is set to shift to the East Coast on Sunday, the weather service said. Though the storm impact won't be as severe as in the South, AccuWeather said downpours and gusty winds could still impact visibility and travel in D.C., Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland and New York City.
See weather forecast map
Severe weather warnings and watches
Another atmospheric river in the Northwest
Flooding from heavy rainfall poses a threat in northern California and southern Oregon this weekend, the Weather Prediction Center said.
It's the latest in a "revolving door of mid-latitude cyclones propagating through the Pacific Northwest," the National Weather Service said.
Between 5 and 7 inches of rain are expected to fall through Sunday.
The Cascade and Rocky mountain ranges are also expecting between 1 and 3 feet of snowfall through Monday morning.
"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.
(This story has been updated to add new information.)
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe weather, storms could impact holiday travelers across US