Play
A cross-country storm will sweep from the West to the Midwest and South with a wide array of impactful weather into the weekend, including rain, snow, strong winds and a few severe thunderstorms.
Where The Storm Is Hitting Now
-The storm is contributing to areas of rain and snow across the West, as seen in the radar snapshot below. Snow will spread as far east as parts of Nebraska, South Dakota, Iowa and northern Illinois by Thursday night.
-High winds will ramp up Thursday across the Southwest into the Southern High Plains. This will be a hazard for traveling, especially since blowing dust is possible, which could reduce visibility on some highways. Below is a look at the latest wind speeds in the region.
Where The Storm Is Heading Through The Weekend
Friday
-Rain and higher-elevation snow will continue to impact the Southwest. Phoenix and Tucson, Arizona, could both see rainfall, and Flagstaff, Arizona, can expect some additional needed snowfall.
-A band of snow, or rain mixed with snow, will also stretch from Nebraska to Iowa, northern Illinois, southern Michigan, northern Indiana and northern Ohio. That includes Des Moines, Iowa, and Chicago. This could slow travel on untreated roads in these areas, so be sure to take caution.
-The bulk of this storm will shift into the South as we kick off the weekend, and it will mainly be in the form of rainfall.
-Rainfall could dampen outdoor plans on Saturday and/or Saturday night, from Dallas and Oklahoma City to New Orleans. A few isolated severe storms might produce large hail from eastern Texas to much of Louisiana, southern Mississippi, southwest Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle.
-On Sunday and Sunday night, rain and a few thunderstorms will impact the Southeast states and northern and central Florida. That might interfere with outdoor plans from Atlanta to Tampa and Charleston, South Carolina.
How Much Snow, Rain To Expect
-Snowfall will be heaviest in the higher-elevations of the Rockies, and from the High Plains of Wyoming to northern Nebraska and southern South Dakota. Totals in these areas will be 6 or more inches. Lighter snowfall is expected as far east as Chicago, where a coating of an inch or two might pile up.
-Rainfall in the South will be more of a nuisance, so widespread, heavy totals are not expected. Most areas will be less than an inch, but parts of northern Florida and southern Georgia might top that mark.
Additional Rain and Snow To Expect
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.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives.