Dicey weather could slow down truckers and supply chains this week across the eastern half the country.
Strong frontal systems, plenty of humidity and increasing instability will produce periods of torrential rain and intense thunderstorms Monday through Wednesday.
Related: 5 things truckers should know about severe storms
Several tornadoes damaged parts of Mississippi Sunday night. The threat for more potential tornadoes Monday, in addition to areas of severe thunderstorm winds and large hail, stretches from the Texas Panhandle to the Ohio Valley. This includes places such as Lubbock, Texas; Tulsa and Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Fort Smith, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; St. Louis; Evansville, Indiana; Louisville and Lexington, Kentucky; Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama; Atlanta; Columbia, South Carolina; as well as Charlotte, North Carolina.
The risk for severe storms and tornadoes Wednesday shifts eastward, putting places like Nashville and Chattanooga, Tennessee; Birmingham, Montgomery, Tuscaloosa and Huntsville, Alabama; Tupelo, Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi; and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, in the crosshairs.
Heavy rain could lead to flash flooding, which may force ramp and road closures. By Wednesday, severe storms should become more isolated, impacting fewer areas.
Other notable weekend weather
Drivers will have to chain up Monday in the Rockies west of Denver. Ten inches or more of spring snow could pile up in some high elevations along the Interstate 70 corridor. Roads will be slick heading through the Eisenhower Tunnel area, the Wet Mountains, Rocky Mountain National Park, Cameron Pass, Breckenridge, Winter Park, Willow Creek Pass, the Rabbit Ears Range and Berthoud Pass.
Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.
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