Connect with us

Travel

Severe weather across the country could hamper holiday travel this weekend

Published

5 days ago

on

Severe weather across the country could hamper holiday travel this weekend

play

Rounds of storms are forecast to lash the Northwest as the East Coast braces for severe storms that could delay flights and snarl traffic during one of the busiest travel periods of the year.

A parade of storms that have dropped several inches of rain and snow across the Pacific Northwest this week 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.

Storms across south-central US to impact much of the East Coast

A severe weather pattern that canceled hundreds of flights in eastern Texas on Thursday is set to continue soaking the south-central U.S. before shifting northeast and bringing heavy rain and winds to the mid-Atlantic region over the weekend.

Thunderstorms and showers are forecast to produce downpours as well as hail and damaging wind gusts from far southeastern Louisiana through central and southern Mississippi on Friday, according to AccuWeather.

From Saturday to Sunday, rain will continue to break out over the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys but also will expand over the Appalachians and Great Lakes region, where 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected, possibly up to 8 inches.

The weekend storms threaten flooding because much of the rain could come in hourslong stretches that may lead to rapid runoff on city streets and rural roads, especially in more mountainous areas, AccuWeather warned. In the southeast, from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley, there will be a threat of tornadoes.

The storms will move over the mid-Atlantic and New England region from Sunday and into next week, brining “poor visibility, downpours and urban flooding” that forecasters warn could “lead to substantial travel delays.”

“Shifting travel time to well before or after the storm leaves may be a better option, when possible,” AccuWeather said in an online forecast.

Related Topics:
Continue Reading