Severe storms, flooding rain to close out January across the South
Some of the same areas that were whitened with snow last week will be at risk for flooding downpours and damaging thunderstorms as the month comes to a close.
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A sprawling storm will spread heavy rain and locally severe thunderstorms from Texas to the Carolinas during the last days of January, a little over a week since a rare snow event impacted parts of this same area.
The latest storm, which brought much-needed but locally damaging rainfall to portions of Southern California from Sunday to Monday, will gather moisture and wind over the southern Plains into Wednesday night before racing toward the Atlantic coast during the latter half of the week. Pockets of wintry weather will occur on the northern and western fringes of the storm, including near Denver and part of the Midwest and Northeast.
Severe weather risk to stretch from Texas to Mississippi, perhaps the Southeast coast
Showers and thunderstorms that fired up earlier in the day on Thursday will continue to charge eastward along Interstates 10 and 20 through Thursday night. Houston; Little Rock, Arkansas; and Shreveport, Louisiana, are among the cities at risk for severe thunderstorms.
Damaging wind gusts, hail, and heavy rain will be the most widespread hazards across eastern Texas and the lower Mississippi Valley, and severe weather reports may be more prevalent than Wednesday night.
"There may be a higher risk for an isolated tornado or two, as there will be more spin in the atmosphere compared to the middle of the week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Alex Duffus said.
Rain and thunderstorms will move through the Southeast Friday and Friday night with downpours and locally gusty winds at the very least. A more widespread risk of damaging wind gusts is possible from the Carolinas to the Florida Panhandle.
Flood risk to increase along storm's path from Texas to Kentucky
Drenching rain will fall, sparking a flood threat within and to the north of the areas at risk for severe weather.
"Areas from northeastern Texas into southeastern Oklahoma, Arkansas and western Tennessee will be at highest risk for heavy rain into Thursday night," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Tyler Roys said.
While most areas from central Texas to Kentucky are projected to pick up rainfall totals from 1 to 2 inches from this event, there can be higher totals ranging from 2 to 4 inches along a corridor from Dallas to spots west of Nashville, with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 7 inches. Rain should generally total under 1 inch farther to the east along the Southeast coast.
Motorists traveling across the region should be mindful of the heavy rain threat and be on alert for reduced visibility and pooling of water which heightens the risk of hydroplaning. Areas of high water should be avoided altogether.
In the wake of the storm, a several-day stretch of dry weather is expected for the first days of February across the South.
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