Storms over both weastern and southern United States threatening flight delays as millions of holidaymakers prepare to end the year.
In what is expected to be one of the busiest travel weekends of 2024, another round of severe thunderstorms is expected to hit the South on Saturday with strong tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail from Louisiana to Alabama, according to National Weather Service. Elsewhere in the country, a series of Pacific storm systems will continue to affect the West into the weekend with periods of strong winds, low-level rain and heavy mountain snow, the weather service said.
After nearly 800 flights within, to or from the United States were canceled on Thursday, more than 60 have already been canceled for Friday, according to the flight tracking website FlightAware.
On Friday – one of the season top three busiest travel days – The Storm Prediction Center is warning of a few strong to locally severe thunderstorms for parts of the central Gulf Coast, including parts of Louisiana and the Florida Panhandle and central Mississippi and Alabama. Large hail, damaging wind gusts and tornadoes are possible.
On Saturday, the severe weather threat level will increase from north-central Louisiana to west-central Alabama, which could lead to flights being diverted around these storms and commuters on roads to wait out severe storms.
“We have a growing concern that there will be a lot of storms with a severe weather threat there Saturday,” said Weather Service meteorologist Evan Bentley said. “Because it’s a pretty active time of year for holiday travel, we want to make sure that anyone who is in that corridor or traveling through that corridor is aware of the weather threat.”
Thursday brought stormy weather to the south, with some storm damage and possible tornado sightings reported in parts of Texas and Louisiana.
Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated state emergency resources Thursday to prepare for the severe weather conditions, he announced on X.
“As Texans and out-of-state visitors begin traveling after the Christmas holidays, it is critical that everyone regularly monitor road conditions, make an emergency plan and follow the guidelines of state and local officials,” Abbott said in a news release.
Travelers’ plans were also thwarted in New Jersey, where a gaping sinkhole opened along Interstate 80 in Wharton, prompting the state Department of Transportation to close the eastbound interstate for emergency repairs.
The severe weather rumbles through the US as record numbers of travelers are expected to shut down in 2024, according to AAA. The association estimated that 119.3 million people will travel 50 miles or more from home from December 21 to January 1. That’s 3 million more travelers than the same period last year.
The Transportation Security Administration says it expects to screen nearly 40 million people from Dec. 19 to Jan. 2 — up 6% from last year. Among the busiest travel days will be Friday and Monday, TSA said.
While much of Thursday’s U.S. airline cancellations were in or out of Dallas-Fort Worth, the series of storms could impact the East Coast on Sunday and potentially lead to additional delays in other parts of the country for those traveling home from the holidays.
Meanwhile, on the West Coast, an active weather pattern is bringing rounds of coastal rain, gusty winds, mountain snowfall and dangerous waves across the region as vacationers head home this weekend.
The storm leaves some damage in Texas
The Wharton County Sheriff’s Office of Texas said it appears three tornadoes touched down in the county, with damage to several structures reported near the town of El Campo on Thursday.
One of the possible thrombi landed near Highway 59 and damaged some barns, the Wharton County Office of Emergency Management said said on Facebook.
Reid Strnadel, who helps run a farm and ranch that has been in his family for 80 years, told CNN affiliate KHOU a tornado blew through one of the family’s barns, sending pieces of sheet metal and wood flying hundreds of feet away.
“I couldn’t believe it,” Strnadel said. “I’ve never seen a tornado … hurricanes are all we really get down here.”
It also knocked out a wall in one of their barns and lifted the roof off another, moving a boat that Strnadel had stored inside, he told KHOU.
But Stradnel said “it could have been worse” as both his family and livestock were unharmed by the twister.
Elsewhere in Texas, a Harris County home was damaged and a United States Postal Service truck was overturned during Thursday’s storm, KHOU reported. And in Liberty County a great tree fell and crashed into an elderly couple’s home.
Strong storms increase this weekend across the south
Wet traveling conditions will continue Friday, with rain expected to stretch from the Midwest to the Gulf Coast on Friday. Temperatures will be 10 to 20 degrees above normal for the Plains, Midwest and Great Lakes.
After a marginal risk of severe storms across the south Friday, the threat is expected to increase again on Saturday. Damaging winds, hail and tornadoes are likely across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama through Saturday, the weather service said.
A Level 3 out of 5 severe thunderstorm risk has been issued Saturday from north-central Louisiana across much of central Mississippi to far west-central Alabama, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
“It appears that all severe weather conditions and hazards may occur, including large hail, damaging winds and tornadoes as storms steadily develop east-northeast Saturday afternoon and Saturday night,” the center warned.
Cities under the strongest threat include Shreveport and Baton Rouge, Louisiana, as well as Jackson, Mississippi. Cities including Houston, Memphis, New Orleans, Birmingham and Montgomery all have a lower risk of storms on Saturday.
As for Sunday, at least some severe weather risk is expected across the Southeast, although the risk is expected to diminish early next week, according to the weather service. Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia are under the strongest threat for severe storms on Sunday.
Rain and snow continue to pelt the West Coast
A stormy pattern continues to affect the western United States through the weekend. Mountain snow, coastal and low elevation rain, and windy conditions will affect the Northwest into the Northern Rockies on Friday and into the weekend.
High wind warnings are in effect across the lower elevations of the Northwest, northern California and parts of the Rockies, where winds of 40 to 60 mph and isolated gusts of more than 75 mph are expected.
“Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected. Travel will be difficult, especially for high-profile vehicles,” the National Weather Service warned.
The winds are fueling high waves across most of the west coast, where a series of high wave and coastal flooding warnings are in place.
Winter weather warnings are in place across parts of the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Rockies as rounds of moisture continue to affect the West. Snowfall of 6 to 18+ inches and wind gusts potentially over 70 mph could reduce visibility, make travel nearly impossible, and cause damage to trees and power lines.
The next in line of atmospheric river-driven storms is expected to bring another round of coastal and valley rain, mountain snowfall, gusty winds and high waves to the west Friday with other storms potentially affecting the region Saturday and Sunday.
By the end of the weekend, rainfall of 3 to 5 inches is likely with isolated totals approaching 10 inches likely through the lower elevations of the Washington and Oregon Cascades and the coastal mountains of northwestern California in the northern Sierra, while snowfall amounts to 1 to 3 feet is likely in the highest elevations in the northwest. Wet weather across the Northwest could also lead to river flooding and mudslides, the weather service said warned.
CNN’s Lauren Mascaren contributed to this report.
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