Rain refuses to stay away from waterlogged southern US
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 9, 2020 2:57 PM EDT
Several roads were closed in Montgomery County, Alabama, on March 9, as floodwaters raced over top of them.
Following a few days of dry weather, frequent rounds of rain will return to the interior southern United States and can aggravate flooding in some areas and disrupt outdoor plans in others this week.
AccuWeather meteorologists say that although the rain may not be as intense over as broad of an area experienced in recent weeks, enough rain will fall to reverse the drying process that began over the weekend.
It is possible the same zone above may stay wet through much of next week as well.
The rain will not only hamper cleanup operations in tornado-ravaged Tennessee, but will also interfere with outdoor activities ranging from construction to recreation and sporting events.
Over much of the interior South, not enough rain is likely to fall to aggravate flooding. The dry weather from late last week through this weekend has helped with the flash flood situation.
A general 0.50 of an inch to 2 inches of rain is forecast from the Interstate 20 corridor to I-70. This much rain over a five- to seven-day period will not be a problem as that rain is not coming all at once.
"It won't rain every day this week over the interior South, but it will rain often enough to be annoying, especially after the wet winter the region has gone through," AccuWeather Meteorologist Courtney Travis said.
However, there is a part of the region where heavy rainfall could renew flooding concerns.
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Along the I-40 corridor, in the area from eastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas to central Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, a general 2-4 inches of rain is forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 7 inches anticipated.
"The bulk of the excess rainfall in this swath may occur in one or two episodes," Travis said. "One dose may take place from Wednesday night to Friday and the other is possible from Friday night to Sunday."
The rain this weekend will be associated with a storm forecast to bring several days of wet weather to Southern California and the Southwest this week.
It is where and when thunderstorms produce short episodes of intense rainfall that the risk of urban and small stream flooding will be greatest.
A cumulative rainfall total of several inches will keep river levels elevated and can lead to new rises on some of the rivers.
Following a siege of major flooding during February, most rivers are now receding. However, a number of rivers, including the Alabama, Pearl, Big Black, Flint, Ocmulgee and Oconee, were still at moderate flood stage as of Monday, March 9. The Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was at major flood stage and may not fall below moderate flood stage until late March.
Exactly where the heaviest rain falls each day will depend on the track of storms that are forecast to move from west to east along a stalled front that will set up over the region. The band of rain may meander north and south by 100 miles or more each day.
Rain may continue to frequent the same corridor through next week.
The Arkansas, Cumberland, Tennessee and Ohio rivers, as well as a stretch of the middle Mississippi River, may experience rises during the next week or so in response to the anticipated rainfall.
At this time, rainfall along the I-10 corridor, as well as over South Texas and the Florida Peninsula, is expected to be minimal.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Severe Weather
Rain refuses to stay away from waterlogged southern US
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 9, 2020 2:57 PM EDT
Several roads were closed in Montgomery County, Alabama, on March 9, as floodwaters raced over top of them.
Following a few days of dry weather, frequent rounds of rain will return to the interior southern United States and can aggravate flooding in some areas and disrupt outdoor plans in others this week.
AccuWeather meteorologists say that although the rain may not be as intense over as broad of an area experienced in recent weeks, enough rain will fall to reverse the drying process that began over the weekend.
It is possible the same zone above may stay wet through much of next week as well.
The rain will not only hamper cleanup operations in tornado-ravaged Tennessee, but will also interfere with outdoor activities ranging from construction to recreation and sporting events.
Over much of the interior South, not enough rain is likely to fall to aggravate flooding. The dry weather from late last week through this weekend has helped with the flash flood situation.
A general 0.50 of an inch to 2 inches of rain is forecast from the Interstate 20 corridor to I-70. This much rain over a five- to seven-day period will not be a problem as that rain is not coming all at once.
"It won't rain every day this week over the interior South, but it will rain often enough to be annoying, especially after the wet winter the region has gone through," AccuWeather Meteorologist Courtney Travis said.
However, there is a part of the region where heavy rainfall could renew flooding concerns.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Along the I-40 corridor, in the area from eastern Oklahoma and northeastern Texas to central Kentucky and Middle Tennessee, a general 2-4 inches of rain is forecast with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 7 inches anticipated.
"The bulk of the excess rainfall in this swath may occur in one or two episodes," Travis said. "One dose may take place from Wednesday night to Friday and the other is possible from Friday night to Sunday."
The rain this weekend will be associated with a storm forecast to bring several days of wet weather to Southern California and the Southwest this week.
It is where and when thunderstorms produce short episodes of intense rainfall that the risk of urban and small stream flooding will be greatest.
Related:
A cumulative rainfall total of several inches will keep river levels elevated and can lead to new rises on some of the rivers.
Following a siege of major flooding during February, most rivers are now receding. However, a number of rivers, including the Alabama, Pearl, Big Black, Flint, Ocmulgee and Oconee, were still at moderate flood stage as of Monday, March 9. The Mississippi River at Baton Rouge, Louisiana, was at major flood stage and may not fall below moderate flood stage until late March.
Exactly where the heaviest rain falls each day will depend on the track of storms that are forecast to move from west to east along a stalled front that will set up over the region. The band of rain may meander north and south by 100 miles or more each day.
Rain may continue to frequent the same corridor through next week.
The Arkansas, Cumberland, Tennessee and Ohio rivers, as well as a stretch of the middle Mississippi River, may experience rises during the next week or so in response to the anticipated rainfall.
At this time, rainfall along the I-10 corridor, as well as over South Texas and the Florida Peninsula, is expected to be minimal.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo