Downpours, severe storms to pose travel risks in south-central US after Christmas
A pair of storms that swing out from the southern Rockies will lead to travel problems on and around Christmas due to localized flooding, severe thunderstorms and patchy fog over the south-central United States, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
The first storm pushed through eastern Texas on Christmas Eve bringing a mixed bag of storm reports including flash flooding, strong wind gusts and hail.
As the storm continues to move east on Christmas Day, the risk of severe thunderstorms may diminish somewhat, but the likelihood for localized flash flooding will continue-mainly from Louisiana and Arkansas to Mississippi, western Tennessee and perhaps western Alabama.
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The storm will weaken past midweek as it drifts eastward. A new storm will roll out from the southern Rockies on Thursday, and the entire process will repeat over the South Central states.
On Thursday, a new zone of heavy, gusty and locally severe thunderstorms is forecast to extend from central and northeastern Texas to southeastern Oklahoma to the eastern and central parts of Arkansas and Louisiana.
Along with the likelihood of downpours heavy enough to cause urban flooding and even isolated incidents of hail, a small number of the storms will bring powerful wind gusts and could spawn a couple of tornadoes.
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The storm on Thursday is forecast to lift more to the Northeast than the Christmas Day storm, however, before it does it will bring another round of severe weather on Friday.
The zone will still include most of Louisiana but shift east to include the southern half of Mississippi where more thunderstorms will renew the risk of urban flooding, hail and damaging wind gusts.
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The cumulative effects of the rounds of rain will bring a general 1-4 inches of rain from central and northeastern Texas to Arkansas into Friday. Pockets where 6 inches or more may fall are also likely, including in parts of the Ozark Mountains.
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Because of the ongoing moist conditions in the South Central states, there is the potential for locally dense fog along portions of interstates 10 and 20 corridors.
"The rounds of rain and fog can lead to significant airline delays in the busy major hubs of Dallas, Houston and New Orleans, as well as the secondary regional airports," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys cautioned.
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