Bulk of Central and Eastern U.S. to be Hit by Parade of Storms

A parade of storms is going to stir up both rain and the possibility of snow for a large part of the central and eastern U.S. starting this weekend and lingering well into next week. Here is a look at what you can expect from this active weather pattern for the next several days.

Trio of Storms Will Produce High Odds of Moisture in Varying Forms

A series of storms is forecast to usher in flooding rainfall across the southern and eastern parts of the country beginning Sunday and lasting through Thursday. Meanwhile, cold temperatures will support the potential development of snow for the Midwest and into the Appalachians. Even if this region escapes significant snow out of these systems, there will almost definitely be meaningful rain, drizzle, and fog.

The first of the series of storms will fire up Sunday and into Monday for the eastern U.S. The colder temperatures still in place in this part of the nation will mean that the moisture will fall as a wintry mix including rain, snow, and ice. For example, Portland, Maine is likely to wake up to snow showers on Sunday morning.

The second system is forecast to be the weakest of the trio, moving along the Appalachians to the north and northeast late Monday and throughout the day Tuesday. The weak nature of this storm will yield straight rain for the central Gulf Coast and up into the Tennessee and Ohio valleys, the Appalachian region, and over to the Atlantic coastline.

For instance, New Orleans will be under the gun for the surge of moisture associated with this system. The Crescent City is forecast to pick up about a half of an inch of rain on Monday with another quarter of an inch tacked on overnight. Yet another inch is in store for the bayou throughout the day Tuesday and into the overnight hours. Highs will bounce around in the low 70s during this time. However, a mass of cold air will move into the region late Tuesday and into Wednesday, bringing down the mercury dramatically. Check back later for more on that weather change.

On the off chance that this second storm picks up in intensity, it would work to bring down colder air to the Atlantic coast and send snow into the Interstate 95 corridor. However, forecasters do not believe that this particular storm will have the punch needed to make this happen.

Third Storm Already Coming Together in the Northwest

The start of the third storm will first make an appearance in the Pacific Northwest toward the end of this week. This storm originating in the Pacific will then dip to the southeast across the interior portions of the interior West over the weekend and into early next week. The movement in this direction will mean that Rockies and the Wasatch Range should be prepared for snow by the start of the new work week.

While it will not be a major snow producer for the interior West, places such as Denver could wake up to enough of the white stuff to create traffic disruptions during the Monday morning commute. The risk of scattered snow showers will stick around throughout the day in the Mile High City with highs topping out in the upper 30s. Although this is not particularly chilly for the winter in Denver, it will be a dramatic shift from the highs in the low 60s and upper 50s over the weekend.

What is most significant about this third system is that its leftover energy will then create another round of stormy conditions for the East on Wednesday and Thursday. Forecasters believe that this storm could be the strongest of the three systems to impact the region this week.

While temperatures will likely be too warm along the Eastern Seaboard for snow development, it will be a different situation in the eastern Great Lakes, the Appalachians, and portions of the Ohio and Tennessee valleys. Even the Midwest may see some snow sneak into the area depending on how the storm moves and intensifies. This will be an area of concern that meteorologists will be monitoring in the days ahead.

At the very least, the caboose in the train of storms will bring rain to the central and eastern parts of the country. Should the storm pick up more energy, it could mean accumulating snow for the Tennessee and Ohio valleys and up into the central Great Lakes.

Heavy Rain Will Continue to Provide Help to Drought in South-Central U.S.

The zone from the south-central U.S. and over into the Appalachians and the Atlantic Seaboard will be at risk of seeing multiple rounds of heavy rain. The forecast is calling for widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches of rain across the Gulf Coast. Meanwhile, the Southeast will see about 1 to 2 inches of rain with the mid-Atlantic and up into New England picking up about an inch of rainfall.