Weather experts said that inches of rain would bring drought relief over the southeast. They said that this weather condition would actually bring threats of floods in the region.
Moisture-Packed Storm
Meteorologists said that the moisture-packed storm would move across the nation's midsection and the southern portion over the long Christmas weekend. This will then bring a threat of flooding downpours.
The storm, which comes from the heels of soaking Southern California and the Southwest deserts, will bring rain across most areas of the Plains and lower Mississippi Valley through Christmas Eve.
This weather condition will also deliver some snow to the Intermountain West and Rockies. It is expected that by Christmas Day, the rain will expand across the Midwest and Southeast.
Weather experts said that after a relatively dry stretch of weather across much of the Plains and Southeast during the days leading up to the Christmas holiday, a change in the weather pattern will result in a soggy holiday for many areas.
Based on the weather forecast, the heavy downpours can cause slow holiday travel and localized floods as well as a few strong thunderstorms.
Meanwhile, as the storm is set to combine forces with moisture coming from the Gulf of Mexico, rain is expected to break out from Texas northward along the Plains late in the day on Saturday as well as into Saturday night.
Meteorologists said that on Sunday, the rain is expected to advance across much of the Upper Midwest, Mississippi Valley and even into the South.
The heaviest downpours, which are seen to tally a couple of inches of rain as they move repeatedly over the same areas, will likely go towards the zone from the Texas Hill Country through the Arklatex on Saturday afternoon and into Saturday night then closer to the Ozarks, Mississippi Valley and Gulf Coast come by Sunday.
Moreover, the repeated downpours can unload one to three inches in rain gauges, often in just a few hours, which can lead to floods in cities such as Dallas, Houston, Little Rock and Memphis, as well as portions of interstates 10, 20, 30, 35, 40, 49 and 55.
On the other hand, some locally higher amounts near four inches are not out of the question.
Read Also: Pacific Northeast Weather Forecast: Wet Weather Pattern To Unload Before Christmas
Busiest Travel
Authorities said that the 2023 holiday season will be the busiest ever for air travel, with Thursday, December 21, and Friday, December 22, likely the most active days for flight departures.
Furthermore, a few developing storms can impact portions of California, the Pacific Northwest and the southern Plains later this week, which will pose a risk for bumpy travel conditions.
Meteorologists said that a round of wet weather will cross the southern Plains from Thursday into Friday, bringing the potential for heavy rain to cities such as Oklahoma City, Dallas and Houston by the end of the week.
The wet conditions across California could spell trouble for those traveling through Los Angeles, San Diego and even San Francisco during the second half of the week.
Weather forecasters said that through the middle of the week, forecasters say that damp weather is projected to continue spreading across parts of California.
Related Article: Light Snow, Freezing Rain Likely in Upper Midwest, Great Lakes, Central Plains This Weekend