Millions of Americans could face impacts from severe weather this weekend and into next week as a strong storm works its way across the nation after pummeling California with heavy snow and rain.
Earlier this week, a potent winter weather system dumped as much as 3 feet of snow in the high-elevation Sierra Nevada Mountains. Lower elevations in California were inundated with heavy rain, which posed a significant threat of mudslides and debris flows near recent wildfire burn scars.
The storm was associated with a drop in temperatures across parts of California, National Weather Service (NWS) meteorologist Andrew Gorelow told Newsweek, though temperatures are set to rise for parts of the West Coast this weekend.
On Thursday, the storm was trekking across the Rocky Mountains, FOX Weather reported. Through the weekend and into early next week, the storm will bring impacts to around 150 million Americans, the report said.
Thunderstorms are possible across the Central U.S. beginning on Thursday evening, spanning from northern Texas to South Dakota, AccuWeather reported.
The storm threat will bring a severe weather threat to a large swath of the U.S. from Texas to Ohio this weekend. Severe thunderstorms could spawn from the system, posing the threat of possible tornadoes and large hail.
The states facing the most significant storm threat on Saturday will include northeast Texas, northern Louisiana, eastern Oklahoma, Arkansas, southern Missouri, and southwestern Illinois, according to a map from FOX Weather.
By Sunday night, the greatest threat area will shift to the southern U.S., including Alabama, Georgia, Tennessee and South Carolina, AccuWeather reported.
By early next week, much of the Northeast will see rain from the system, FOX Weather reported.
As of Thursday afternoon, no storm-related weather alerts had been issued by the National Weather Service (NWS). However, several hazardous weather outlooks and special weather statements were in place across multiple states, warning of the risk of storms.
NWS office in Hastings, Nebraska, in a hazardous weather outlook: "Southerly winds gusting up to 40mph are possible this afternoon. Thunderstorms are possible mainly west of Highway 183 during the daytime hours today. scattered thunderstorms are possible across the area tonight."
NWS Goodland, Kansas, in a hazardous weather outlook: "Showers and thunderstorms will develop over portions of the area this afternoon, mainly in northwest Kansas and southwest Nebraska. A severe storm or two capable of producing large hail and damaging winds. There is a less than 5 percent chance of a brief tornado occurring as well."
People in the path of the storm system across the U.S. are urged to monitor local forecasts and follow any weather advice from official agencies such as the NWS.