Storm brings flooding and snow to U.S.

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

One of the storms from the western United States will produce a swath of drenching rain, heavy snow and severe weather over the Plains, Mississippi Valley and Great Lakes during Saturday and Sunday.

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.

Heavy Rain Brings Flooding and Landslides to Portland

According to AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams, this will be a dynamic storm as it swings from the West into the Central states.

"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 Friday night to Saturday night.

Denver could receive a few inches of snow and travel disruptions from the storm on Saturday into Saturday night.

During Sunday into Sunday, a stripe of snow and slippery travel are likely to blanket areas from western Kansas to eastern Nebraska, parts of Iowa, southeastern Minnesota, western and northern Wisconsin and the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.

The most likely time for accumulating snow and slippery conditions around Minneapolis is Sunday night.

The area of accumulating snow could shift farther to the east in the region, depending on the track of the storm as it emerges from the southern Rockies.

Enough Rain May Fall to Renew Flooding

Another 1-3 inches of rain will fall with locally higher amounts from portions of Texas and Louisiana to Iowa and Illinois spanning Saturday and Sunday. Much of this area had two to three times their average rainfall during November.

Soil conditions remain wet and streams 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.

RELATED:
AccuWeather Winter Weather Center
Southwest US Interactive Radar
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The greatest potential for flooding will be from the lower part of southern Plains to the middle and lower Mississippi Valley. This includes portions of the Red River basin.

The combination of drenching rain and poor visibility could slow travel in the major metro areas of St. Louis, Chicago, Detroit 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. The storm potential will be contingent on the amount of warming that takes place both days of the weekend.

Severe thunderstorms could roll through Oklahoma City; Shreveport, Louisiana; Little Rock, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; Dallas and Houston.

During Saturday afternoon and evening, the greatest risk for isolated tornadoes and damaging wind gusts will extend across the central and eastern portions of Texas and Oklahoma.

Abrams stated that gales would buffet the Great Lakes region with building waves and the potential for lake shore flooding during Sunday into Monday.

During Sunday, the risk of thunderstorms with damaging wind gusts will push eastward from parts of Louisiana and Mississippi to portions of Arkansas, Missouri, Illinois and the western counties of Kentucky and Tennessee.

http://www.accuweather.com/en/weather-news/storm-system-to-target-central-states-plains-great-lakes/54072919