Severe weather could disrupt holiday travel, with tornadoes forecast in the South
Severe weather conditions across the U.S. could disrupt holiday travel this weekend, as millions of people set out to reach their destinations or return home. The National Weather Service is forecasting tornadoes and thunderstorms, heavy rain, and wind in many regions.
An outbreak of severe thunderstorms with tornadoes is possible Saturday in parts of East Texas, the Lower Mississippi Valley, the Tennessee Valley, and central Gulf Coast states. Baton Rouge and Shreveport, La.; Mobile and Tuscaloosa, Ala.; and Jackson, Miss., are among cities under serious threat. Flash flooding, tropical storm strength wind gusts, and up to two-inch sized hail are possible in some places.
National Weather Service meteorologist Frank Pereira says long-range tornadoes could strike some communities from the Texas-Louisiana border, northern and central Louisiana, and into parts of Mississippi.
"They could stay on the ground for quite a while and they could be very strong tornadoes, EF3, which is really significant," he said. "Once they touch down, they remain on the ground, and can do damage over quite a length, quite a distance."
The potential for dangerous storms and twisters comes as many are traveling for the holidays. Auto club AAA projects a record 119 million people are traveling through New Year's Day. Nearly 107 million are traveling the nation's highways. About 8 million are estimated to be flying, many through the nation's busiest airline hubs.
More than 4,000 U.S. flights were delayed as of Saturday afternoon, according to FlightAware.com.
For parts of western Oregon and northern California, heavy rain and strong winds are in the forecast this weekend, with the worst conditions Saturday. Pereira says the atmospheric river is likely to return to the region and could cause flash flooding and other headaches.
"By the time we get into Monday, Tuesday, things should start to taper off. We could see an uptick later in the week, Tuesday, Wednesday, but currently that round doesn't look as heavy as what is currently ongoing," he said.
Meanwhile, it's not likely to be a white New Year. Outside of higher elevations in the West, forecasters are not calling for snow. Instead, well-above normal temperatures are expected in much of the country in the coming days.
