Soggy Start to the New Year Houston to Atlanta

By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather.com Senior Meteorologist

January 1, 2013; 8:59 PM ET

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A slow-moving storm system will unload drenching rain from Louisiana to North Carolina and southeastern Virginia during New Year's Day 2013.

There is the potential for enough rain to fall in a short period of time to lead to flash and urban flooding.

Cities that can be impacted by the slow-moving wall of rain include Baton Rouge, La.; Meridian, Miss., Birmingham, Ala., Atlanta, Ga., Greenville, S.C., Charlotte, N.C., and Richmond, Va.

Downpours, poor visibility and an accumulation of water on paved and concrete surfaces will create a hazard for travelers along major highways, including I-10 , I-20, I-55, I-65 and I-85.

While much of Louisiana, Mississippi and northwestern Alabama do not need the rain, areas from southeastern Alabama, much of Georgia and the Carolinas could stand another soaking, even if it has to be around a holiday.

The bulk of the moisture from this particular storm fell south of the upper Mississippi watershed, but managed to reach part of the Ohio Valley and the winter wheat growing areas of the Plains.

Thunderstorms will accompany the rain in some areas, but severe weather is not anticipated.

Folks heading to the several bowl games in Florida on New Year's Day will be pleased to know that rain will stay away.

The back edge of the rain will slowly move out of the Dallas and the Cotton Bowl during the afternoon after a misty start.

Mother Nature rang in the new year in the Houston area with between 1 and 4 inches of rain during the first nine hours of 2013. The heaviest rain has shifted east of Houston, but will soak Atlanta into Tuesday night and will reach New Orleans during Tuesday night.

Allow extra time to get to your destination on New Year's Day from Louisiana to North Carolina. (Photos.com image)

A general 1 to 3 inches of rain will fall over the Mississippi Delta region into Tuesday evening with an inch of rain possible as far to the northeast as North Carolina.

The intensity and amount of rain will tend to diminish moving eastward on Wednesday reaching the coastal areas of South Carolina and Georgia to northern Florida.

However, additional rain will fall farther west along the Gulf Coast Wednesday.

Another pulse of rain could affect part of the Gulf Coast region this coming weekend, while much of the nation settles into a quiet weather pattern in terms of storms.

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