CNN
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A major winter storm system brought dangerous blizzard conditions to parts of the central United States on Monday, closing highways and leaving drivers stranded in the frigid cold. Hailstorms, major flooding and tornadoes are also a threat in parts of the South.
The fast-moving storm will move east, covering more than 1,800 miles in 72 hours and bringing significant snowfall to more than six states.
The system tracked from the Four Corners region, where it picked up snow Sunday afternoon and halted some movement, and strengthened as it moved into the Southern Plains Monday afternoon.
By Monday evening, heavy snow and high winds had spread from the Texas Panhandle to Nebraska, where authorities were already responding to dozens of weather-related accidents on the roads. called on residents Do not travel due to dangerous whiteout conditions.
Further south, heavy rain and hailstorms moved through parts of Mississippi and Louisiana, putting millions of people at risk of tornadoes.
The first tornado warning of 2024 was issued Monday for parts of Texas and southwestern Louisiana. A second tornado watch was issued for southeastern Louisiana and the Mississippi coast through Monday night, including cities such as Baton Rouge and New Orleans.
CNN Weather
Forecast models show where heavy rain and snow is expected from Monday to Wednesday.
All of this comes as more states brace for severe weather on Tuesday, including parts of the Northeast where leaders are warning of potentially dangerous rainfall and coastal flooding.
As this powerful January storm continues to move, expect to see what more happens.
tornado and violent storm
The threat of flooding, wind damage, and tornadoes is at a level more typical of spring than the second week of January.
On Monday, more than 9 million people from Texas to Florida were under threat from a Level 3 out of 5 storm. As of Tuesday, more than 11 million people from the Florida Panhandle to North Carolina’s Outer Banks face the same level of threat.
Along the Gulf Coast, warm, humid air increases the threat of severe storms, with the potential for several strong tornadoes and damaging winds and hail.
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The risk of tornadoes will increase Monday night, creating incredibly dangerous conditions for parts of the Gulf Coast. Nighttime tornadoes are twice as deadly as tornadoes that occur during the day, primarily because a large portion of the population is asleep and misses the warning.
Meteorologists at the National Weather Service office in Mobile, Alabama, predict that “this could be one of the most impactful non-tropical systems” to hit the region, and “an extremely impactful event for our region.” ” warned about.
The same system is expected to move through the Southeast throughout Tuesday. Tallahassee, Fla., Savannah, Ga., Charleston, South Carolina, and Jacksonville, Fla., are at Level 3 of 5 for severe storm risk. Tornado and wind damage also pose the most severe storm threats.
Major inland and coastal flooding possible
Equally serious concerns are the possibility that the storm’s strong winds will push water onto land and that the storm, which dumps powerful rain, could cause major flooding. Flood watches will be in place across the Southeast on Monday and in the Northeast on Tuesday.
“Wide-spread, potentially significant river and flash flooding is possible from the central Mexico Gulf Coast to much of the eastern United States early this week,” the Weather Prediction Center said. “Strong onshore winds will cause widespread coastal flooding along much of the eastern Gulf Coast and East Coast.”
Widespread rainfall totals of 1 to 3 inches More than 4 inches is expected in isolated places from the Gulf Coast to New England.
A Level 3/4 risk for excessive rainfall and flooding is in effect Monday from eastern Louisiana to the Florida Panhandle.
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There are serious concerns about flooding in the Northeast as the next wave of rain comes on the heels of the first snowstorm dumping more than half a foot of snow in several Northeastern states.
Heavy rains accelerate snowmelt, increasing the amount of water runoff into waterways and raising the upper bound on flooding potential in these areas. As a result, the risk of excessive rain will reach Level 3 of 4 for parts of the Northeast and the Carolinas on Tuesday. The Level 2/4 threat extends from Georgia to Massachusetts.
For Louisiana and Mississippi, rainfall is both a blessing and a concern. Both states are still suffering from severe drought, but the drought has already improved significantly since November due to recent rainfall.
Areas along the Gulf Coast from New Orleans to Tallahassee, Florida, have received more than 5 inches of rain above normal since Dec. 1, so it won’t take long for saturated ground to flood.
Wind is another concern on saturated ground. Trees are more likely to fall on power lines and houses. And Tuesday’s winds will be strong enough to cause such damage.
As the storm reaches its maximum strength on Tuesday, widespread wind gusts of 40 to 60 mph are possible across large swaths of the central and eastern United States.
The Weather Prediction Center warned people to “prepare for power outages” due to potentially damaging winds.
More than 100 million people across the United States are under high wind warnings for Monday, Tuesday, or both.
Coastal areas are likely to endure the strongest winds from the storm.
The National Weather Service office in Boston may need to issue a hurricane-force wind watch (warning for winds approaching a Category 1 hurricane) for coastal areas if the worst storm forecast comes true. He pointed out that there was no.
The winds could also produce waves 8 to 11 feet high, which could cause significant coastal erosion. Dangerous rip currents are also possible and will continue through at least midweek.
A winter storm warning extends more than 1,000 miles from Arizona to Michigan as the storm cuts its way.
A blizzard warning is in effect Monday for parts of New Mexico, eastern Colorado, the Oklahoma and Texas panhandles, western Kansas and southwestern Nebraska. Up to a foot of snow could bury parts of the area on Monday.
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Poor visibility and near-impossible driving conditions have already begun Monday in the central and southern Plains, moving into the Midwest on Tuesday. Heavy snow could hit areas from eastern Nebraska and northern Missouri to Michigan on Tuesday.
Strong winds will also bring windchill values below zero in some locations across the Plains, especially Monday night and Tuesday night.
Snow will then spread across the interior Northeast into the afternoon and evening Tuesday. Snow will remain in the highlands of New York and New England until Wednesday.
The storm appears to be over by the end of the week, but another storm could follow a similar path and impact some of the same areas Friday and into the weekend.
CNN’s Robert Shackelford, Taylor Ward and Christina McSourlis contributed to this report.
