March to End With Potent Storm Bringing More Severe Weather, Heavy Rain, Snow

The setup is familiar for spring, with a sharp southward plunge of the jet stream and an area of low pressure aloft tracking from California and the Southwest toward the central United States during the first half of the week. By Tuesday and Wednesday, that storm system will have tapped into a supply of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, leading to the development of widespread rain and thunderstorms in the southern and central U.S.

Those storms could produce tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail in parts of the South as the system tracks eastward through the middle part of the week. This includes some of the same areas that were hit by severe weather in the past week.

(MORE: Impacts From the Outbreak This Past Week)

Flooding rain is also a potential threat from portions of the South into the Midwest.

Meanwhile, snow and wind might impact areas from the Rockies Front Range into the Northern Plains, upper Midwest and northern Great Lakes.

Here's an overview of what to expect, but be sure to check back for updates.

Forecast

Sunday-Monday

The storm will arrive in California late Sunday into Monday.

Rain is expected throughout much of the state, but the highest potential for an inch or more is in Southern California. This rain is welcomed but is a drop in the bucket in terms of drought relief.

Tuesday-Tuesday Night

Severe storms, possibly packing damaging winds, large hail and a tornado threat, are most probable from northern and central Texas into Oklahoma and southeastern Kansas. It's too early to provide details on the magnitude of any of those threats.

This system might also begin to produce snow, or a wintry mix, along with gusty winds in the Rockies, Northern Plains, upper Midwest and interior Northeast.

Wednesday-Wednesday Night

Soaking rain and thunderstorms will spread farther east across the Midwest and South by the middle of the week.

Parts of the Lower Mississippi Valley have the highest chance of severe storms, but severe storms are possible from southern portions of Missouri, Illinois and Kentucky southward to much of Louisiana. Tornadoes, damaging winds and large hail could all be potential threats as a line or broken line of strong thunderstorms moves eastward across the South.

Heavy rain might contribute to localized flooding in parts of the South and Midwest.

Snow and strong winds could impact portions of the Northern Plains and upper Midwest. A wintry mix is possible in the interior Northeast.

Thursday

There might be a continuation of wintry weather and severe storms from this system on Thursday. The potential for severe weather exists from parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania into the Carolinas as the whole system slides eastward.

However, the forecast shown below is likely to change once the details of the setup come more into focus.

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