Truckers will hit areas of unsettled weather the next several days in the eastern half of the country.
A system producing mountain snowfall out West is exiting the Rockies and moving into the Plains. This system will produce wet and stormy weather Tuesday across the central and northern Plains in addition to the Upper Midwest. Storms could produce severe winds, large hail and an isolated tornado along Interstate 70 from central Kansas to Kansas City. Severe storms could also hit from Wichita to southeastern Nebraska.
Wednesday, the threat shifts slightly eastward, drenching much of the Mississippi River Valley, as well as parts of the Ohio River Valley. The risk region for severe storms and tornadoes will be larger, extending from the Arklatex to western Alabama, southward to the Louisiana coast and as far north as Memphis, Tennessee, St. Louis and Des Moines, Iowa.
The system will be fairly slow moving. By Thursday, heavy rainfall and storms could still soak the upper Mississippi Valley, Ohio Valley and parts of the Gulf Coast, spreading into the Tennessee Valley. At this time, severe storm chances look low for these areas. However, this outlook could change. Look for weather updates on the FreightWaves website and social media accounts.
As the system virtually stalls, Friday and Saturday will remain wet in portions of the Great Lakes and the South, with rain possibly spreading into the mid-Atlantic. Then, the system may finally lose steam and fade Sunday.
When it’s all said and done, some places could see rainfall totals exceeding 5 inches. This may lead to localized flooding, as well as potential ramp and road closures. Rainfall will be torrential at times, so drivers should expect periodic delays and reduced visibility.
Other notable weather this week
Hot and extremely dry conditions continue in the Desert Southwest and Four Corners regions Tuesday. Relative humidity in many areas will be less than 10%, with wind gusts exceeding 50 or 60 mph. This could spark new wildfires, and winds may quickly spread new and existing fires out of control. These places are in an “exceptional” drought, the worst category, according to the U.S. Drought Monitor. The National Weather Service has issued red flag warnings for eastern Utah, the southern half of Colorado, southeastern Arizona, western Texas and all of New Mexico.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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