A storm system that will march through portions of the South and Gulf Coast over the next few days promises to produce thunderstorms and more rounds of heavy rainfall.
The precipitation is expected to develop over the Lone Star State on Thursday before heading eastward and impacting states along the East Coast.
Of concern to the FOX Forecast Center are the states of Alabama and Georgia, where a widespread 2-3″ of rain is expected to fall on already saturated grounds.
On the system’s northern end, snow will be possible for interior locations of the Northeast, while the big cities of the I-95 corridor will see rain.
“So, as you head to bed Thursday and Friday, make sure you have your phone and your alerts turned on and volume all the way up, so you can be alerted if anything does happen again,” said FOX Weather meteorologist Haley Meier.
Thunderstorms are expected to erupt late on Thursday and into the overnight hours on Friday across Texas, Oklahoma and Kansas.
The Storm Prediction Center has highlighted parts of the region for being under an increased risk of seeing strong to severe thunderstorms.
Included in the Level 2 out of 5 threat zone are communities such as Dallas; Wichita, Kansas; and Plano, Texas.
Due to the state of the atmosphere, hail is expected to be the primary threat on Thursday versus any type of widespread tornado or damaging winds.
The FOX Forecast Center said an isolated tornado or two cannot be ruled out, but they are not the primary threat.
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To close out the workweek, thunderstorms are expected to become more numerous and widespread on Friday across the Southeast.
Unlike on Thursday, all modes of severe weather will be possible, with damaging winds, hail and isolated tornadoes.
On Friday, the increased threat zone stretches from East Texas to the Florida Panhandle and includes cities such as New Orleans; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Pensacola, Florida.
It is during the Friday evening through the Saturday morning timeframe that the FOX Forecast Center is concerned about heavy rainfall over Alabama, Georgia and South Carolina, where many communities could see over 2″ of rainfall.
The threat of more heavy precipitation comes on already saturated grounds, which could lead to rivers, creeks and streams to quickly overflow their banks.
If forecast models do not adjust expected precipitation amounts, Flood Watches will likely be issued for counties in the three southern states.
A Flood Watch is issued by local National Weather Service offices when weather conditions are favorable flooding and alerts residents of potential impacts.
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Before the cold front pushes off the East Coast, the chance for strong to severe storms is expected to linger across parts of Florida, Georgia and South Carolina to start the weekend.
Forecasters expect plenty of moisture and daytime heating to be in place for storms to produce hail, gusty winds and an isolated tornado.
The threat zone includes cities such as Tallahassee and Jacksonville in Florida and Savannah in Georgia.
Most of the rainfall is expected to push offshore by Saturday evening, leaving behind a dry but breezy Sunday.