Those looking to get their holiday shopping done this weekend might be better off doing it online, as a cross-country storm is forecast to bring myriad weather hazards as it treks east.
This storm system will cross the Rockies and eject out into the Plains on Friday, bringing 1 to 3 inches of snow to the central Rockies. As the system tracks farther east during the evening hours, it will come with a risk of strong storms capable of producing large hail across eastern portions of Oklahoma and Texas, and much of Arkansas.
The system ramps up Saturday, with a line of showers and storms developing along the cold front, spanning from Houston to Cleveland. Some of these storms will turn severe, with over 11 million people facing the risk of damaging winds, large hail, and possibly a few tornadoes across the South. Texas through Kentucky faces the greatest risk of severe weather.
The entire East Coast from Florida to Maine will be in for a soggy Sunday, as heavy rain and wind will blast the entirety of the I-95 corridor by midday. Strong winds capable of producing power outages and coastal flooding could lead to numerous travel delays.
Strong thunderstorms will also be possible for parts of Florida, the eastern Carolinas and southeast Virginia.
As this system exits late Sunday evening, it’ll leave behind 1 to 3 inches of rain with locally higher amounts along the coastal mid-Atlantic into the Northeast.
On the colder side of the system, snow will fall over parts of the interior Northeast. Upstate New York may see over 6 inches of snow, with generally 1 to 3 inches of snow expected elsewhere from the Appalachians to the Adirondacks.
