New Year's weekend forecast includes freezing rain in Maine and heavy rain in California

Snow in the Mississippi Ohio Valley will soon affect the northern and central Appalachians, as well as the northeastern U.S. this New Year's weekend, according to the National Weather Service.

By Saturday night, the parts of the valleys will see light snow as a weather system weakens and heads to the Gulf of Maine. The weather service said rain will be affect the northeast to parts of the Great Lakes.

Northern Maine will keep seeing freezing rain before it turns into snow Friday afternoon, the weather service reported. The northern and central Appalachians will see snow Friday evening and continue through Saturday.

Meanwhile, a rain system will impact the West Coast before 2024 arrives.

Here is the weather forecast for Friday, Dec. 29, 2023.

Maine weather map

Northern California under heavy rainfall risk alert

The Pacific Northwest and northern California will see light rain Friday before a front over the Eastern Pacific dissipates by Saturday, the weather service reported.

But parts of northern California are under a marginal risk of excessive rainfall from Friday until Saturday morning. The region could see flash flooding in areas that experience rapid runoff with heavy rain.

The rain will eventually make its way from the northwest to Southern California by Saturday, impacting the Los Angeles and San Diego areas.

A pedestrians braves cool raining weather in Palm Beach, California in Dec. 28, 2023.
A pedestrians braves cool raining weather in Palm Beach, California in Dec. 28, 2023.

Also, high elevation snow will develop over California's Sierra Nevada on Saturday.

California weather map

US weather watches and warnings

National weather radar

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Freezing rain turns to snow in Maine, storm heads to California