Traveling for Thanksgiving and shopping on Black Friday may become more difficult due to the heavy rains that are predicted to fall starting Thursday night as a massive storm moves across most of the southern United States.
By Thursday afternoon, portions of Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas were already submerged in rain, and tomorrow is expected to bring further downpours, according to forecasters.
Eastern New Mexico and western Texas are also anticipated to receive snowfall from the big system.
According to National Weather Service meteorologist Marc Chenard, the days-long storm is being pushed by a ball of low pressure that settled over southeastern New Mexico after crossing the Rocky Mountains.
“It kind of escalated as the system dove south and east through the Rockies,” “Added Chenard.
Similar weather patterns typically follow the jet streams and move swiftly from west to east across the nation, according to Chenard. But due to this system’s “separation from the northern stream,” “It slowed down and kind of closed off as a result of losing contact with that westerly flow, resulting in the closed low that we are currently observing.
An impactful winter storm is set to begin later today across parts of eastern New Mexico and West Texas. Be sure to plan ahead if traveling as roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous. #NMwx #TXwx pic.twitter.com/j7jwCfruHl
— NWS Weather Prediction Center (@NWSWPC) November 24, 2022
As a result, the National Weather Service predicted that four to eight inches of snow might fall Thursday night in some areas of New Mexico and Texas.
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According to Chenard, the more sporadic snowy precipitation represents a relatively extreme event for the area.
“This is a really big snowfall for southeast New Mexico; with this system, some regions may break November records, “added he.
On Thursday morning, the meteorological service issued a travel advisory for New Mexico and Texas, advising people to “prepare ahead” because highways, particularly bridges and overpasses, “will likely become slick and hazardous.”
Travelers and holiday shoppers further east have been advised that delays may occur due to floods from rain.
A region spanning the entire southeast from Thursday through Sunday may have four to six inches of rain, with the wettest areas possibly receiving up to 12 inches, according to AccuWeather analysts.
Happy Thanksgiving! Here is your forecast outlook for Friday. A storm will continue to develop & slowly move across the southern portions of the country. Heavy rainfall is possible, along with heavy snow across areas of E. New Mexico and W. Texas. Visit https://t.co/VyWINDkBnn pic.twitter.com/UfdljjD7mq
— National Weather Service (@NWS) November 24, 2022
In the lower Mississippi Valley and Southeast, particularly from eastern Texas to northern Georgia, upstate South Carolina, and western North Carolina, the rain will fill some rain gauges as the storm develops from Thursday to Friday, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Bill Deger.
States in the southeast will experience more rain after Thursday’s rainfall, according to Chenard.
It will reload, and another round will emerge the next day “explained he.
According to forecasts from the National Weather Service, southeast Texas has the highest chance of flash floods. Roadways that are flooded over should be avoided by motorists in some areas of Louisiana, Chenard advised.
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