Storm to Lash Central US With Flooding, Snow and Severe Weather

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

December 12,2015; 9:40PM,EST

 

 

One of the storms from the western United States will produce a swath of drenching rain, snow and severe weather over the Plains, Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes this weekend.
While the central United States will remain in the midst of tranquil weather into the second week of December, a major storm will take shape during the second weekend of the month.
According to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, this will be a dynamic storm as it swings into the Central states.

Severe Weather Strikes the Southern Plains

"In addition to bringing locally heavy precipitation, the storm will bring a good deal of wind, which will be quite a switch from the tranquil, stagnant and foggy conditions over the past week or so," Abrams said.
While the exact details on which areas will be hit the hardest with rain versus severe thunderstorms and snow will unfold in the coming days, the storm will bring general travel disruptions to the Central states this weekend.
Following the storm impacts in the Central states, big temperature swings are in store for the region.
Northwest Flank of Storm to Bring Snow
As the storm traverses the Rockies, locally heavy snow will fall on portions of Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico spanning into Saturday night.
Denver could receive a few inches of snow into Saturday night. Enough snow will fall to create slushy and slippery travel along portions of Interstate 25, I-70, I-78 and I-80 in the region.

During Sunday into Sunday night, a band of snow is likely to stretch from the Oklahoma Panhandle to eastern South Dakota. A bit of snow can fall at the beginning and the end of the storm in northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
"Depending on where the band of heavy snow sets up, snow totals of 6-12 inches are possible within the band on Sunday to Sunday night," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun said.
"Strong winds will accompany the snowfall and could lead to white-out conditions at times," Rathbun added.
While this does not look like a major snowstorm for much of this area, enough snow could fall to make for slippery travel in some communities.
Wet snowflakes could mix in at the tail end of the storm from Kansas City, Missouri to Omaha, Nebraska, Des Moines, Iowa and Minneapolis.
The area of accumulating snow could shift farther to the east or west across the region, depending on the track of the storm as it emerges from the southern Rockies as well as the availability of colder air.
Enough Rain May Fall to Renew Flooding
Another 1-3 inches of rain will fall with locally higher amounts from portions of Texas and Oklahoma to Louisiana, Arkansas, Missouri, and Illinois this weekend. Much of this area had two to three times their average rainfall during November.

Soil conditions remain wet and stream levels remain high in much of this area. As a result, the risk of flooding will extend beyond flash and urban concerns to small streams and unprotected areas along some of the rivers.
The greatest potential for flooding will be from the lower part of the southern Plains to the middle and lower Mississippi Valley. This includes portions of the Red River basin.
RELATED:
AccuWeather Winter Weather Center
Southwest US Interactive Radar
Western Storm to Unleash Additional Round of Rain, Mountain Snow
The combination of drenching rain and poor visibility could slow travel in the major metro areas of St. Louis, Chicago, Milwaukee and Kansas City, Missouri.
Storm to Bring Severe Weather Potential
The combination of warm, moist air and strong winds aloft could be enough to spark severe thunderstorms this weekend.
While the intensity of the storms will be partially contingent on the amount of warming that takes place both days of the weekend, the risk of severe weather will extend through the nighttime hours.
Severe thunderstorms could roll through Oklahoma City; Shreveport, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; Dallas and Houston.
Into Saturday night, the greatest risk for a few isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts will extend across the western and central portions of Texas and Oklahoma into southeastern Kansas.

The risk of thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts will push eastward into parts of eastern Texas into Louisiana, Arkansas and Mississippi on Sunday.
During Sunday night into early Monday, the severe weather risk, including the potential for a few tornadoes, may extend from eastern Mississippi to parts of western Alabama.
Abrams stated that gales would buffet the Great Lakes region with building waves and the potential for lakeshore flooding during Sunday into Monday.