Major Storm To Bring Feet of Snow, Heavy Rain and Possible Tornadoes

By Hikaru Y On Dec 12, 2022

An atmospheric river event, bringing ample amounts of moisture to the West this weekend, will gradually move across the country and bring hazardous weather to millions.

The blockbuster storm will begin in the West with heavy snow, gusty winds, and coastal flooding, then move eastward, threatening potential blizzard conditions in the Midwest and tornadoes in the South.

Winter weather alerts are in place for more than 10 million people across nearly a dozen states from California to Minnesota Sunday.

Snow could top out at 1 to 2 feet in the Rockies, and 3 to 5 feet in the Sierras by the end of the weekend. Heavy rain will also be notable in the West, particularly in California, where flooding concerns exist through Sunday.

An atmospheric river is a plume of moisture which streams in off the Pacific Ocean. Similar to a fire hose, it shoots moisture into one area for an extended period of time, resulting in very heavy rain or snow.

Where Rain Is Expected This Week

Here is the cummulative amount of rain and other precipitation forecast for the next seven days.

Most coastal communities will pick up 1 to 3 inches of rain through the weekend, and some areas of northern and central California could receive 3 to 5 inches of rain in total. Coastal erosion and flooded roadways will be the main concerns.

“Additional heavy rains may result in isolated runoff issues, especially across recent burn scars,” the Weather Prediction Center said.

Wind advisories and high wind warnings are also in places across several western states as gusts of 45 to 55 mph are possible.

This same storm system is forecast to track into the Rockies by Monday morning, bringing with it heavy mountain snow, before heading into the eastern half of the country.

“As the system moves into the Plains early next week, a springlike storm system develops,” Chad Myers, CNN Meteorologist said. “Significant severe weather will occur in the warm air across the South and a major snow and ice event will happen in the western Great Lakes and northern Plains.”

Potential blizzard conditions for the Plains and Midwest

For the northern Plains and Midwest, the threat for blizzard conditions is increasing, as significant snow, strong winds, ice and freezing rain will all be possible early next week from Colorado through Wisconsin.

The severe storm potential begins Monday night across Oklahoma and northern Texas, gradually spreading into Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi on Tuesday.

Severe storms will likely continue Tuesday overnight across the Gulf Coast region. Nocturnal tornadoes are more dangerous because many people are asleep and unaware they need to be seeking a safe location.

While the greater tornado threat exists during the day, there is still the possibility for a few rotating storms through the evening hours.

By Wednesday, the greatest threat exists for an area from New Orleans to Panama City, Florida.

“The details regarding the areas most at risk from tornadoes will become clearer as the event approaches and smaller-scale trends become more evident,” Elliott said.

Because the forecast can change it is important to pay attention to developments in the coming days.

source : cbsnews