Mexico Faces Unusually Heavy March Rain, Flooding This Weekend

By Courtney Spamer, Meteorologist

March 13,2015; 10:46PM,EDT

 

 

A non-tropical system developing in the eastern Pacific Ocean will unload drenching rain into Mexico and threatening flooding during this weekend.
Following a front moving from north to south across the country, a storm will develop off the Pacific coast of Mexico in the states of Colima and Michoacan. This moisture is forecast to steer inland during the weekend.
This round of heavy rain comes after a rare snowfall which shut down a highway in Mexico City.
AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Rob Miller said he expects the heaviest rain to start on Saturday and extend into Monday.

The winter months and the early spring are the dry season in this part of the world, since tropical showers and thunderstorms are usually absent.
"It is highly unusual for a strong storm to develop in this area during March," Miller said.
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The storm will pump tropical Pacific moisture northeastward into central Mexico.
While light to moderate rainfall is welcomed, the storm setup has the potential to bring excessive rainfall in a matter of a few of days. Some areas will likely get over 100 mm.
"We expect between 75 mm to 125 mm (3-5 inches) of rain between Manzanillo and Zihuatenejo," Miller said. The swath of heavy rain will extend inland from these coastal cities toward Santiago de Queretaro.
"Close to 200 mm (8 inches) of rain could fall in some of the mountains," Miller said. Not only could this excessive rain lead to flooding and impassible roadways, but mudslides will also be a concern in the higher elevations.
In places like Mexico City and north of Guadalajara, rain and thunderstorms throughout the weekend will be less intense and less likely to cause widespread flooding.
This system is expected to weaken by Tuesday as it retreats westward, shifting the heaviest rain towards Mazatlan and into the Pacific Ocean.

AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski contributed content to this story.