Mix of Snow and Rain in the Forecast for the Great Plains

A varied weather maker is set to bring heavy rain and snow to the Great Plains next week, likely creating travel disruptions. Here is what you need to know about this incoming system.

Storm Expected to Fire Up Over the Great Plains

The first accumulating snowfall of the season is bearing down on the Great Plains. The same system that will deliver significant rain showers to portions of Southern California to close out the week will eventually make it over into the Great Plains region. This moisture machine will dump heavy rain on parts of the country that have already been grappling with downpours over the last few weeks.

A series of isolated but gusty rain showers and thunderstorms will set up over the Desert Southwest this weekend. The energy from this system will then push into the southern High Plains, setting off a steady stream of moisture to end the weekend.

The precipitation will be a welcome sight for the southern and central Plains, an area of the U.S. that has been experiencing dry conditions as of late. This region can expect widespread rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches out of this system. Some isolated pockets may pick up rainfall of up to 6 inches between late Sunday and Monday night.

Places such as Dallas are forecast to see isolated thunderstorms on Sunday morning becoming more widespread in the afternoon. The metroplex will continue to see the risk of storms overnight with periods of locally heavy rain possible. The storms will linger into Monday with winds picking up speed at this time, landing at about 15 to 25 mph from the southwest. High temperatures will remain in the low to mid 70s during this time.

Forecasters are warning that the rain may be enough to trigger flooding concerns. While the region could use a good dousing of rain to help with the drought conditions, too much rain coming down at too fast of a clip can cause flash flooding. The threat of flooding will be the greatest in urban areas and along small streams.

Wet November Will Continue

It has already been a wet start to November for parts of the south-central U.S. For instance, Wichita, Kansas is sitting at its fifth wettest November in the record books through the first two weeks. Should more rain fall this weekend, it could beat the current overall record of 6.69 inches of rain in November. This record dates back to 1909.

The rain will begin to fall late in the day Sunday in Wichita. The city in the south-central part of the Sunflower State should expect about an inch of rainfall overnight Sunday and into Monday. Residents may be dealing with a rocky morning commute on Monday with showers and scattered storms. It will be a windy day in this part of the state with winds clocking in at speeds of 20 to 30 mph from the south-southeast. Highs will top out at about 60 degrees before falling into the low 40s overnight as the skies begin to clear.

It has also been exceptionally wet to the south on Interstate 35 in Oklahoma City. The capital city has already recorded almost 7 inches of rain this month. The record for November is 9.63 inches, dating back to 1931. The forecast is calling for 1 to 2 inches of rain overnight Sunday for Oklahoma City. The metro area will also see lingering rain showers and thunderstorms in the morning before the precipitation moves on and the sun makes an appearance. Highs will hit about 64 degrees during the peak afternoon hours.

This storm system will also usher in the risk of severe weather for the southern and central Plains states in the time period between late Sunday and Tuesday. Forecasters will continue to monitor how the ingredients are coming together to issue alerts accordingly.