Showers in the Southeast, warmer temperatures ahead: weekend weather forecast
After thunderstorms, blizzard conditions and other severe weather swept from the west to the East Coast, much of the country is expecting milder weather in the coming days.
Swaths of the Southeast will continue to see showers and thunderstorms into Saturday night, and even Sunday in parts of Florida. A flood watch is in effect on Saturday in parts of Louisiana and Texas.
But warmer temperatures are expected to take hold this weekend and into next week, including parts the Midwest and South that saw recent deadly severe weather. Five people were killed when a tornado hit in southeastern Missouri in the early hours of Wednesday morning.
Here’s what you need to know about this weekend’s weather.
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Southeast sees showers
Parts of the Southeast will see showers and thunderstorms into weekend, with moderate to heavy rainfall possible from the Florida Panhandle into Georgia and the Carolinas.
Most rain should clear out by Saturday night, the National Weather Service advised, though parts of Florida will still see thunderstorms into Sunday. Temperatures are also expected to remain cooler in parts of the Southeast, with highs in the 40s and 50s.
Further west, a flood watch is in effect through Saturday morning in parts of Louisiana and Texas. Runoff may cause flooding in rivers, creeks and other low-lying areas. Those who live in areas prone to flooding should “be prepared to take action,” the weather service warned. Corpus Christi, Houston, New Orleans and other area cities are all at risk for rain into Saturday night.
The rainfall comes after some parts of Louisiana reported 24-hour rainfall of 2 to 4 inches from Thursday to Friday, according to AccuWeather meteorologists. In Lake Charles, Louisiana, up to 6.77 inches of rain was recorded in a day.
Warmer spring temperatures set to spread across the country
Balmy temperatures are expected to sweep from coast to coast in the coming days, beginning this weekend and ramping up next week.
Parts of of the northern Plains and Midwest are expected to see highs in the 60s and 70s, according to AccuWeather.
Temperatures are also set to increase in coming days for cities from Cincinnati and Pittsburgh to Philadelphia, Washington and New York, where highs could reach reaching into the 70s and 80s early next week.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Weekend weather forecast: Rain in the Southeast; temperatures rising
