Snow, severe weather, flooding rain to impact post-Christmas travel as millions return home from holiday

NEW YORK – As millions begin the trek home from the Christmas holiday, they’ll be dealing with wet conditions to close out the week with rain and thunderstorms expected across a good swath of the country.  

Meanwhile, snow levels are dropping in the West as more storms hammer the coast and dump heavy rain that could lead to flooding in some spots.

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Rounds of rain, storms to soak South

The storm is expected to bring the first round of rain and thunderstorms to the South on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day before rapidly dissipating Thursday. However, right on its heels, a new storm will come out of the Rockies and into the southern Plains, bringing a renewed round of rain and thunderstorms, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

This will begin across Texas and Oklahoma where thunderstorms will erupt during the day Thursday and potentially disrupt travel, especially at Dallas Fort Worth International Airport. 

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These storms could be severe, especially in the afternoon, with damaging wind and a few tornadoes being the primary threats. This isn’t expected to be a repeat of Dec 26, 2015, when 12 tornadoes, including an EF-4, ripped across north Texas. 

Thursday night will see storms head back into the Ark-LA-Tex region, setting up their third-straight day of wet weather.  Flash flooding will be possible as heavy rain, up to an inch an hour, is likely to fall in the same areas that saw rain Tuesday and Wednesday.

Friday and Saturday will see the footprint of the rain coverage greatly expand, just in time for the busiest travel days of the post-holiday period, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Rain is likely to fall from the Gulf Coast through the Great Lakes. According to the FOX Forecast Center, details on this part of the forecast will become clearer as the week moves along.

Snow, wintry mix forecast Christmas Eve in Northeast

Those dreaming of a white Christmas received a welcome early present as a winter storm brought snow across the Northeast on Christmas Eve. The storm, a weaker system compared to the recent powerful clipper, brought light to moderate snow throughout the region.

Significant snow is expected across northern New England, and especially Maine, with some places seeing more than 6 inches.

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The Interstate 95 corridor from Boston southward is seeing lighter snowfall, with most locations receiving a dusting to an inch.

South of Philadelphia, freezing rain and sleet will be the primary concern, creating potentially hazardous travel conditions. While the storm is not expected to significantly disrupt major travel plans, motorists are advised to exercise caution due to potentially slick roads.

Storm after storm to smack West Coast

A series of storms will move in off the Pacific and through the Northwest through Saturday. By this weekend, seven different systems will have impacted the Northwest with atmospheric rivers of various strengths. 

More than a foot of rain will fall across western Washington, Oregon and northern California. Up in the mountains, more than 7 feet of snow could fall along the higher peaks of the Cascades.

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The first storm arrived last Friday. The fifth storm is expected Christmas Day. The sixth system will move in Thursday night, followed by No. 7 impacting the Northwest starting Saturday.

At lower elevations, the cumulative impact of the repeated rounds of rain will increase flood concerns throughout the week. At this time, only minor flooding in urban areas, small streams and even some rivers is expected. 

The same weather systems affecting California will also bring rain to Washington and Oregon, particularly west of the Cascades. The heaviest rain is expected from Wednesday to Friday, which is when we might see the most impact. 

On Christmas Eve, snow levels will plummet to 4,000 feet across Northern California, and heavy snow is expected to cause extremely dangerous travel conditions across the Sierra for last-minute holiday travel, according to the FOX Forecast Center.

Wednesday night and beyond, the systems coming in will be colder than earlier in the week, and the snow should really pile up across the Cascades, Sierra Nevada, Bitterroots, Sawtooth, Boise, Absaroka, Lewis and Teton Mountains.

Snow levels will drop below 3,000 feet, which will allow major snow to accumulate across Cascade Passes. Drivers heading home after Christmas will have to be mindful of potentially treacherous road conditions as the snow piles up.