A Powerful Winter Storm Expected to Bring Snow, Blizzards, Winds, Tornadoes, and Flooding to Eastern US
CNN – An exceptionally powerful winter storm is expected to make its way from the southwest to the northeastern United States through midweek, bringing with it heavy snow, blizzards, hurricane-force winds, possible tornadoes, and severe flooding.
The first major winter storm of the season has already left over a foot of snow in the Northeast and brought rain, snow, ice, and even the first tornado of the year as it moved from the Gulf Coast to Maine.
As this system largely clears on Sunday, attention has turned to the next storm, expected to rapidly strengthen into a powerful January storm, impacting areas east of the Rockies starting on Monday.
Over 10 million people are under a winter weather alert from California to Illinois, and millions more will be affected by the storm’s threats in its warm part. The system is predicted to produce significant snowfall across more than half a dozen states, with accumulations of at least 15 cm expected from northern New Mexico to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan.
In addition to snow and strong winds, the storm will bring blizzard conditions, poor visibility, and difficult driving conditions as it moves through the Southwest, central and southern Plains, and the Midwest over the coming days.
Further east, the storm is expected to intensify and expand its reach across much of the eastern half of the US, posing threats of flooding, damaging winds, and tornadoes. More than 15 million people are under threat of a strong storm from Texas to Florida on Monday, and over 35 million on Tuesday from the Florida Panhandle to the Outer Banks of North Carolina.
The storm’s strong winds and precipitation are likely to cause widespread riverine and flash flooding from the central Gulf Coast to much of the eastern US, alarming authorities and prompting series concerns over flooding in multiple states. The concern is so profound that the Weather Prediction Center has warned about a level 3 out of 4 risk of flooding in parts of New Jersey, New York, and Pennsylvania on Tuesday.
The strong winds resulting from the storm may also lead to widespread power outages, and high wind watches are expected to be issued in the next 24 hours. The winds will be strong enough to cause significant beach erosion and dangerous rip currents.
The storm appears to last until the end of the week, and there are early indications that another storm could follow a similar path and impact some of the same areas later in the week and weekend. Stay tuned for further updates as the situation develops.