Severe storms and heavy rain are expected to hit parts of the South after weeks of bad weather that has killed more than 20 people across the region.
This comes after a devastating Memorial Day weekend that saw communities from Texas to New York picking up the pieces. Tornadoes, storms and heavy rains across the region have killed at least 27 people and left hundreds of thousands without power.
This weekend should be tame compared to the weather in recent weeks, but the possibility of strong to severe storms still exists in parts of the country.
A system is expected to develop from the Rocky Mountains on Saturday, bringing a chance of strong to severe thunderstorms across the High Plains and western Texas during the afternoon and evening. Midland, Texas, and Roswell, New Mexico, are the largest areas expected to be affected. Damaging hail and gusty winds are likely, and a tornado or two is possible.
A separate system will bring showers and thunderstorms through East Texas and much of the Mississippi Valley and Midwest on Saturday. Widespread rainfall could reach an inch or two, but at the southern edge of the front, in the Deep South and Gulf States, heavy rain could lead to flooding events – with up to 4 inches possible in parts of the Florida Panhandle, Alabama and Mississippi. A flood watch is in effect through Saturday afternoon in coastal Alabama, specifically Mobile, and the western part of the Florida Panhandle.
The system will shoot from the Rockies toward the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest on Sunday, bringing strong to severe thunderstorms to parts of the Dakotas, Nebraska and Minnesota. Severe storms could produce damaging winds, hail and an isolated tornado. There may also be some periods of heavy rain across the Northern Plains and Upper Midwest, with a chance of 1 to 3 inches of rain, but flooding should be minimal.
A storm will push into the Pacific Northwest on Sunday, bringing heavy rain to parts of Washington, Oregon and Idaho. Precipitation of 5 to 7 centimeters is possible, with some flooding possible.
Saturday is the start of the 2024 Atlantic and Central Pacific Hurricane Season. The forecast calls for a hyperactive hurricane season, with 17 to 25 named storms — the most the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has issued ahead of a season, as the average is 14 named storms per season.
This article was originally published on NBCNews.com
