Severe storms across the US could snarl holiday travel during one of the busiest weekends of the year
By Holly Yan, Dalia Faheid, Taylor Ward and Robert Shackelford, CNN
(CNN) — Buckle up for a potentially bumpy ride, as coast-to-coast storms could impede millions of travelers this busy holiday weekend.
After a rash of tornadoes and large hail, parts of the South are at risk of more twisters this weekend.
In the Western mountains, a series of storms could dump 1 to 2 feet of snow and more than 4 inches of rain in some areas.
And parts of the East Coast could get deluged with heavy rain, potentially causing dangerous travel conditions.
More than 2,800 flights into, out of or within the US have been delayed Friday, according to FlightAware.com. And many more flights could be delayed or canceled this weekend. Here’s more on what to expect in each region:
More tornadoes could strike the South
Eastern Louisiana, central Mississippi and western Alabama could get pummeled with large hail and a few tornadoes Saturday, CNN meteorologist Elisa Raffa said. The area includes Mississippi’s capital, Jackson.
“An active severe-weather day is expected Saturday into Saturday night, with severe storms likely from east Texas across the Lower Mississippi Valley into parts of the Tennessee Valley,” the National Weather Service’s Storm Prediction Center said.
“Large hail, damaging winds, and tornadoes are likely, potentially including a few strong (EF2+) tornadoes,” the SPC said. “At least some damaging wind/tornado threat will probably continue through late Saturday night/early Sunday, including parts of Alabama/Florida Panhandle, and potentially northward into the Cumberland plateau vicinity.”
The storms could force flights to detour around hard-hit areas and cause drivers to postpone road travel.
Parts of the South are still cleaning up from a few suspected tornadoes Thursday.
Multiple structures were damaged near the city of El Campo, the Wharton County Sheriff’s Office said.
Reid Strnadel, who helps run a farm that’s been in his family for decades, said he “couldn’t believe” a tornado struck a part of Texas more accustomed to hurricanes.
He told CNN affiliate KHOU the twister blew up one of the family’s barns and sent pieces of sheet metal and wood flying hundreds of yards away.
Despite the destruction in Wharton County, “At this time, no major damage or injuries have been reported. We will provide updates as they arise,” the sheriff’s office said Thursday.
“Those to our east, please stay safe and be weather alert.”
Parts of the East Coast could get inundated
Heavy rain from the Florida Panhandle all the way up to New York state threatens to mar travel plans Sunday.
Georgia, the Carolinas and Virginia face a level 2 out of 5 risk for severe storms Sunday.
Travel has already been mangled in northern New Jersey, where a gaping sinkhole opened up Thursday along Interstate 80 in Wharton. The state’s transportation department had to close part of the I-80 to make emergency repairs.
‘Widespread power outages are expected’ in parts of the West
A series of Pacific storm systems will slam some Western states with fierce winds, intense rain and heavy mountain snow this weekend.
High wind alerts are in place across the lower elevations of the Northwest, Northern California and parts of the Rockies, where forecasters predict winds of 40 to 60 mph and isolated gusts of more than 75 mph.
“Damaging winds will blow down trees and power lines. Widespread power outages are expected,” the National Weather Service warned. “Travel will be difficult, especially for high profile vehicles.”
Parts of the Cascades, Sierra Nevada and Rockies could get pummeled by 6 to 18 inches of snowfall and winds gusting around 70 mph – making travel nearly impossible.
The winds are also causing intense waves along most of the West Coast, where a series of high surf and coastal flood alerts are in place.
Then there’s the threat of dangerous rainfall. By the end of the weekend, a total of 3 to 10 inches is likely in the lower elevations of Washington and the Oregon Cascades, as well as the northwest California coastal mountains.
The soggy weather could lead to river flooding and mudslides in the Northwest, the National Weather Service warned.
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CNN’s Lauren Mascarenhas contributed to this report.
