Downpours to drench the Southeast through the weekend
Afternoon showers and thunderstorms are common in the Southeast during the summer, but AccuWeather meteorologists say that thunderstorm coverage may be more widespread through Sunday.
"As is typical in the Southeast during this time of the year, a cold front has stalled out in the region," said AccuWeather Meteorologist La Troy Thornton.
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Plenty of moisture in place combined with the front will cause numerous showers and thunderstorms in the Southeast for several days. Air will rise near the front, leading to the development of clouds and thunderstorms.
Most of the thunderstorms will occur during the latter half of each day, but the front in the area will also lead to the chance of showers and storms during the morning hours.
"The front will continue to enhance thunderstorms across the region, especially near the coast," said Thornton.
Houston; Lake Charles and New Orleans, Louisiana; Biloxi, Mississippi; and Mobile, Alabama; are just a few locations where the flood threat will be heightened.
Much of eastern Louisiana, southern Mississippi and Alabama are not experiencing drought conditions, and more thunderstorms with locally heavy rain trekked through this zone through Friday.
Farther west, drought is firmly entrenched from Texas into western Louisiana. The rain is expected to extend as far west as eastern Texas, and although rain is needed in those areas, flooding will still be a concern if too much rain falls quickly.
Motorists should always remember to turn around and find an alternate route when coming across a flooded roadway, especially at night when the depth and speed of floodwaters are harder to recognize, according to Thornton.
Those with outdoor plans to end the weekend will want to plan cautiously. While there will be calm and dry stretches during much of the day, conditions can rapidly change as thunderstorms develop. With any storm capable of producing frequent lightning, those spending time outdoors may want to stay near safe shelter.
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An area of low pressure developed along the front on Friday and Saturday, further enhancing thunderstorm activity through the end of the week. It began to move northeastward and out of the region late Saturday, but the front will still be present.
"While thunderstorms will not end entirely across the region, the storm system moving away should serve to at least reduce storm coverage in the Southeast, making the heavy rain less widespread," Thornton explained.
On Sunday, the system will have shifted eastward toward the Carolina coast. Meteorologists say the storm is then expected to move into the Atlantic Ocean to the south of Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and New York City.
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