Soggy Start to September in the Cards for the Southern U.S.

The southern tier of the U.S. is going to see a soggy start to the month of September with widespread rain showers and thunderstorms in the forecast for the week. Here is a look at this wet forecast.

Frequent Rain Showers the Story for the Southern U.S. This Week

A wet weather pattern is in store for the southern U.S. this week with frequent downpours expected to linger for the next several days. The rain will come up from the Gulf of Mexico thanks to a persistent wind flow bringing the moisture-rich air to the north. The precipitation is good news for the parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Louisiana that are dealing with drought conditions. However, the regular bouts of rainfall will also raise the threat of flash flooding on the localized level.

You will most likely find the bulk of the rain showers centered around weather features forecast to move through the region. For example, a cold front coming from the west will slow and stall across the Carolinas early in the week, providing a breeding ground for the moisture to fire up. A tropical rainstorm spinning in the northeastern part of the Gulf of Mexico will also attract pockets of heavy rain.

This is the same tropical moisture weather maker that is bringing multiple rounds of rain to South Texas and southeastern Louisiana to start the week. This rain will push into the Gulf Coast region and also to the north to areas as far as Dallas.

For instance, Dallas is forecast to be under cloudy skies and rain showers throughout the day Tuesday. The rain will linger into Wednesday morning before conditions finally dry out. The silver lining is that the clouds and rain will work to trim the temperatures with a high of 78 degrees on Tuesday and 84 degrees on Wednesday in the metroplex.

Most of the precipitation associated with the tropical rainstorm will fall as straight rain, however, you cannot rule out the chance of a few thunderstorms in parts of northeastern Texas, the northern half of Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama.

Moisture Will Move to the East by Middle of the Week

By the middle of the week, the worst of the rain will creep to the east into the lower Mississippi Valley and across the interior portions of the Southeast. This shift will translate to drier conditions for the central and western portions of Texas but the rain will remain a threat across the coastal regions of the Lone Star State. Some of these coastal storms could pack severe impacts, including strong wind gusts.

Rainfall amounts of 4 to 8 inches are a possibility by the middle of the week across the western half of the Gulf Coast region. Motorists using these parts of interstates 10, 20, and 35 will want to be prepared for the potential of road hazards in the form of ponding on the highways and reduced visibility.

Looking at New Orleans, the city is bracing for thunderstorms to erupt on Wednesday, delivering the potential of heavy rainfall. This torrential rain and stormy conditions will hang around on Thursday and Friday in the Crescent City. Thursday is shaping up to be the wettest day in the bayou with rainfall of an inch a possibility. After seeing a high of about 94 degrees on Tuesday, the arrival of the rain will bring the mercury down into the low to mid 80s for the balance of the week.

The rain line will push to the north by Thursday, encompassing places such as Jackson, Mississippi. The capital city will be mostly dry on Tuesday and Wednesday but will make up for it on Thursday and Friday with the potential of heavy rainfall at times. Like the rest of the region, the temperatures will fall noticeably as the rain machine picks up steam. For example, Jackson will tumble from a high of 94 on Tuesday to the upper 80s on Wednesday and all the way into the upper 70s by Thursday.

Thursday is also when Birmingham, Alabama can expect to see the rain arrive. The moisture will hang around this part of northern Alabama into Friday before clearing up in time for the weekend.