A major storm entering California midweek could eventually produce a severe weather outbreak, including tornadoes, in parts of the Midwest and South as well as widespread high winds in the Plains that could bring blizzard conditions to some.
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Big Picture: Timing The Storm’s Arrival
- Wednesday-Thursday: This system will enter the West Coast, including California, then spread into the mountain West.
- Friday-Weekend: From there, the storm will emerge into parts of the central and southern U.S. on Friday. It will then continue to impact parts of the South, Midwest and Northern Plains Saturday before heading to the East on Sunday.
Deeper Dive: Potential Severe Weather Outbreak
- Timing: Much of the Mississippi Valley is at risk for severe storms beginning Friday afternoon, from portions of Iowa, Illinois and Missouri to Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and eastern Texas. The threat area on Saturday extends across parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and Kentucky.
- Threats: Tornadoes, wind damage and large hail are all potential threats each day. Flash flooding from heavy rain could also be a concern in spots.
- Uncertain Factors: How far north and east the severe weather threat will extend each day as well as the magnitude of this potential outbreak. Expect changes over the next several days based on how the forecast setup evolves. Cities such as Atlanta, Birmingham, Alabama, Little Rock, Arkansas, Memphis and Nashville, Tennessee, and St. Louis should monitor the forecast closely.
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Deeper Dive: Colder Side Of The Storm
- The snowy side of this storm, which will impact the mountain West and Northern Plains, has been named Winter Storm Marisol by The Weather Channel.
- West: California will see soaking rain from this storm Wednesday into Thursday. Recent burn areas in Southern California could see localized flooding and a threat of shallow debris flows. Snow totals of 1 to 4 feet will bury the Sierra Nevada, which is likely to impact travel through passes.
- Central: The lion’s share of the snow from this storm east of the Rockies is expected to impact parts of the Dakotas and western Minnesota late Friday into Saturday. High winds in combination with the snow might create blizzard conditions, though details are still to be determined.
Deeper Dive: High Winds A Far-Reaching Impact
- Wednesday: Gusty winds will accompany the storm’s arrival in California and other parts of the West Coast.
- Thursday: The strongest winds will be in the Southwest, and that might lead to blowing dust in the region.
- Friday: Much of the Plains, Midwest and parts of the Southwest will see high winds gusting over 40 or 50 mph. Gusts might top 60 or 70 mph in parts of southern High Plains. These winds could kick up more blowing dust and contribute to a high fire danger.
- Weekend: The Midwest and Northern and Central Plains will see strong winds Saturday. There is some chance the East Coast could see strong, gusty winds as the cold front brings rain to the region Sunday.
Chris Dolce has been a senior digital meteorologist with weather.com for nearly 15 years after beginning his career with The Weather Channel in the early 2000s.