Beneficial Rain Will Come With Risk for Strong Storms Across the Southern US This Weekend

One more cross-country storm is forecast to sweep through the central United States before the end of the year. While the rain will be welcome for most across the region, the potential for locally severe storms including isolated tornadoes will threaten the area.

The storm system will travel northeastward from the Plains to the Upper Midwest this weekend. On the cold side of the storm, strong winds and heavy snow can lead to whiteout conditions across the northern Plains.

Ahead of the storm, southeasterly winds will bring moisture from the Gulf of Mexico north into the central and southern Plains. As the storm storms organizes over the region it will tap into this abundant moisture. Drenching rain and thunderstorms will erupt.

In the southern Plains, colder air rushing into the region behind the system clashed with warm, moist air that had been pulled north into the area, producing strong thunderstorms from southeastern Kansas, northeast Oklahoma, northern Arkansas and southern Missouri.

There is still a potential for some of these storms to become severe. While the main threat will be torrential downpours, the strongest storms can produce gusty winds and perhaps an isolated tornado.

Storms will fire during the day on Sunday as the storm system advances eastward. The area under fire to end the weekend will include western Tennessee to the central Gulf Coast.

Once again flooding downpours and gusty winds will threaten the region. A few isolated tornadoes cannot be ruled out.

While storms rumble across the Lower Mississippi Valley, periods of heavy rain are expected to drench the Ohio Valley.

The risk for flash flooding will increase in areas that see multiple rounds or prolonged periods of heavy rain.

Widespread rainfall totals of 1-2 inches will be common across the region with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 3 inches this weekend.

After a dry start to the month of December, many residents in the central and southern Plains will welcome the wet weather.