Major storm threatens flooding, blizzard conditions, tornadoes across US this week
Over the next week, tens of millions of Americans will be at risk of severe weather as a colossal storm marches across the country, threatening hurricane-force winds, major flooding, blizzard conditions and a possible tornado outbreak.
Meteorologists say the storm could impact every region of the country, first rolling ashore along the Pacific Coast on Wednesday, bringing soaking rain and heavy snow to California and other western states as it moves inland. The National Weather Service in Los Angeles warned of rock and mudslides.
By Friday, the massive storm will stretch across nearly the entire central U.S., from the Gulf Coast to the Canadian border, threatening everything from whiteout conditions to damaging winds, unusually warm temperatures, wildfires, dust storms and tornadoes.
AccuWeather senior meteorologist Tom Kines told USA TODAY the storm could be among the strongest on record in terms of low pressure.
"This is going to be a very significant, very strong storm," he said, adding that the barrage of extreme weather will likely lead to power outages and travel delays on roads and at airports.
The forecast comes days after an expansive storm similarly trekked across the U.S. last week, unloading snow in the northern Plains and bringing tornadoes and wildfires to the South. At least five storm-related deaths in Nebraska and Mississippi were tied to that storm.
Western US braces for deluge, snowstorms
The National Weather Service says the storm will arrive on the West Coast early Wednesday and bring heavy rain to coastal California.
Southern California is at risk of flash flooding and debris flow, the weather service said, especially in areas impacted by the outbreak of wildfires in January. San Francisco could also see heavy rain on Wednesday.
As the storm heads east, it is expected to blanket the Sierra Nevada mountains in 2 to 4 feet of snow and produce widespread wind gusts of 40 to 70 mph, Kines said.
From Thursday into Friday, snow will bury parts of the Rockies and stretch into Nevada, Utah and Arizona, which has seen less snow this winter than usual. From Friday into the weekend, much of the Plains region will be at risk of heavy snow and possible blizzard conditions as the low-pressure system strengthens, the Weather Prediction Center said.
While these conditions could lead to travel delays and treacherous road conditions, they will also bring much needed moisture to the region. "More storms with generous rain and mountain snow are needed prior to the beginning of the dry season, less than a couple of months away," said AccuWeather senior meteorologist Alex Sosnowski in an online forecast.
Almost 500K square miles at risk of severe thunderstorms
By Friday, severe weather advisories will abound across the country as nearly half a million square miles from Texas to the Dakotas will be at risk of "severe thunderstorms," according to AccuWeather.
Kines said there are concerns this storm could cause a "tornado outbreak," spinning up dozens of twisters from the Gulf Coast to the Midwest.
One of main severe weather conditions will be widespread, damaging winds of 65 to 75 mph, with gusts possibly reaching 100 mph. Such high winds risk mass power outages, grounding flights, uprooting trees and spreading wildfires, especially in the drought-stricken Plains and southwest regions.
On Saturday, the large storm will continue tracking east, bringing thunderstorms to Louisiana, Alabama, Tennessee, the Florida Panhandle and western Georgia, according to AccuWeather. Forecasters said thunderstorms could slow down as they encounter the Appalachian Mountains, possibly triggering flash flooding in the Tennessee Valley.
Southwest faces critical fire weather, dust storms
On the dry side of the storm, states across the Southwest may contend with a return of dust storms and "critical fire weather risk" as powerful winds blow through the region the week.
The National Weather Service said the parched Southwest will not see much rain, but will experience low humidity and high winds, elevating the chance of brush fires spreading quickly across dry vegetation.
Areas at particular risk this week, especially on Friday, include western and central Texas, southeast Arizona and southern New Mexico. The weather service began issuing red flag warnings across the region on Tuesday.
In addition to the threat of fast-spreading fires, the Southwest could again experience dust storms. Last week, blanketing clouds of dust carried by strong winds halted traffic, forced businesses to close and triggered air quality alerts in Texas and New Mexico.
The East Coast will not be spared
The storm will barrel east toward the Atlantic Coast into Sunday and could impact several major cities.
Kines said it's possible severe weather threats stretch into the Interstate 95 corridor, including Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and Boston.
"The eastern part of the country will not be left out," he said, adding that there's still uncertainty about what the exact impacts will look like.
Possible record temperatures across central US
Ahead of the storm, large swaths of the country will experience above average temperatures and some areas could see daily records broken, Kines said.
In Chicago, for example, temperatures on Friday could reach the upper 70s, nearing the city's record high temperature for that day. Other Plains and Midwest states that could see record highs include Kansas City, Missouri, and Minneapolis.
Southern Texas, meanwhile, could experience triple digit temperatures, well above its average temperatures in the lower 80s for this time of year.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Colossal storm threatens flooding, tornadoes across US