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Widespread Soaking Rain Arrives With Deep South Severe Threat as Weekend Cold Looms

Forecasts call for 0.5–1.5 inches of rain, with localized 2–4 inches in training storms, before a rapid weekend cooldown to wintry conditions.

Overview

  • Parts of south Louisiana and Mississippi are under a Storm Prediction Center Slight risk Friday, with damaging winds the primary hazard and a few tornadoes or hail possible.
  • A National Weather Service Flood Watch is posted for the New Orleans area from midnight to 9 a.m. Saturday as slow-moving or training storms raise flash-flood concerns.
  • Most locations are expected to receive roughly a half inch to an inch and a half of rain, with pockets of higher totals likely to cause ponding and travel slowdowns.
  • The peak severe window is Friday afternoon into evening, when a thin line of storms along a cold front could race northeast at 50+ mph and produce wind gusts near 60 mph.
  • Behind the front, much colder air will spread in and shift precipitation to a rain/snow mix or snow across parts of the Midwest and Northeast through the weekend.