Wet Weather Pattern to Persist Across Southern U.S.

The flash flood threat will continue to intensify throughout the south-central U.S. in the hours and days ahead as up to a foot of rain eventually falls across the region. Read on for the details of this developing situation.

Flash Flood Threat Elevated Across the South-Central U.S.

Repeated rounds of rain continue to inundate the south-central portions of the country as the holiday weekend comes to a close. Forecasters are warning that several more inches of rain are in store for the water-logged region through the early part of the week. The compounding impacts of the rainfall will amplify the existing threat of flooding in the days ahead.

A potential flash flood emergency has been threatening the area in and around the Ozark Mountains throughout the weekend. Localized flash flooding led to the closure of several roads in Springfield, Missouri, on Saturday morning. This city in the southwestern corner of the state picked up 2.68 inches of rain on Friday and Saturday. This measurement was good enough to take second place for a two-day period on the dates May 23 and 24.

The focal point of the rain continued to center on eastern Oklahoma and southern portions of Missouri. Some communities in this region have seen up to 4.5 inches of rain since Friday. This is also the zone that is most likely to end up with over a foot of rain by the time that the moisture machine dissipates on Tuesday.

The northwestern corner of Arkansas and northern Texas have been spared the worst of the rain thus far. However, the latest forecast models indicate that this region will see pockets of heavy rain develop on Monday. Local officials are warning those headed outside for the holiday to be aware of the risk of sudden downpours and severe storms at times.

The increasing saturation of the ground will raise the chances of runoff that leads to flooding. Areas located along small streams will be the most in danger of seeing this threat.

Motorists heading home over the extended weekend could experience slowed travel due to ponding on the roadways and poor visibility. Extra care should be taken when on the roads, particularly when combined with the anticipated heavy traffic.

It is shaping up to be a messy Memorial Day for many of the largest cities in the southern Plains and to the east. Dallas will be dodging storms throughout the day and into the evening and overnight hours. The mercury will cool considerably from the weekend, topping out in the upper 70s for a high. You can expect overnight lows to fall into the upper 60s.

The storms will take longer to ignite to the north in Oklahoma City. Cloudy skies early will give way to an increasing chance of storms in the evening. The mercury will hover in the mid 70s for a high before slipping into the low 60s overnight.

What is on Tap for the Rest of the Week

Looking ahead to Tuesday and beyond, more rain is on the horizon for the latter part of the week for the south-central U.S. Until then, the primary impact zone will dip farther to the south to the Gulf Coast region. For instance, the chance of storms is in the forecast on Tuesday through Friday in New Orleans. The Big Easy will see highs bounce around in the low to mid 80s throughout the week with lows sliding into the mid 70s during this time.

You will find a similar situation in Jackson, Mississippi. This metro area will see the greatest risk of severe weather on Tuesday with widespread storms in the forecast. The forecast is calling for a high in the upper 70s on Tuesday and lows that drop into the upper 60s. The top temperature readings will inch up for the balance of the week with highs in the mid 80s in the forecast.

After a docile Memorial Day, Mobile, Alabama, will experience a renewed threat of thunderstorms on Tuesday afternoon and evening. The city is bracing for the stormy conditions to persist through the end of the work week. While it is still too early to predict with certainty, the models suggest that Thursday will be the stormiest day of the week in Mobile. Daily highs will reach the low to mid 80s over the next few days in this Gulf Coast city with lows bottoming out in the upper 60s.

We will continue to update the latest forecast for this time of unsettled weather.

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