Potent storm to slam Italy, Balkan Peninsula with flooding rain, disruptive snow

Once again, Italy and the Balkan Peninsula will be dealing with a potent storm through Tuesday.

Flash flooding and mudslides will be a concern in southwestern Italy and the southern coast of the Adriatic Sea through Tuesday as the storm unloads heavy rain.

Rainfall can be on the order of 25-75 mm (1-3 inches) with localized amounts to 150 mm (6 inches).

Cities at risk for the flooding include Naples, Italy; Split, Croatia; and Tirana, Albania.

I think that the heaviest rain will remain south of Rome, but localized issues in low-lying and poor drainage areas may unfold.

Enough cold will be in place for snow and disruptive travel from southern Austria to western Croatia, away from the coast.

A general 2-8 cm (1-3 inches) of snow is anticipated in most of these areas, but my colleague AccuWeather Meteorologist Tyler Roys is concerned for 8-15 cm (3-6 inches) with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 30 cm (12 inches) in the higher terrain.

Farther inland over the Balkan Peninsula, there can be a brief period of snow or icy mix before a changeover to rain.

However, motorists should not let their guard down. The snow or icy mix can leave a quick coating in several communities, which is all it takes to cause untreated roads and sidewalks to become slick.