- A massive storm system that will first hit the Pacific coast on Wednesday is likely to hit every region of the U.S.
- Utah and other areas of the Rockies are expected to be hit by heavy snowfall on Thursday and Friday.
- There is a threat of severe weather across the country with risks of flash floods, high winds and tornadoes.
A major storm system is expected to roll across the U.S. over the next week, putting millions of Americans at risk of severe weather and threatening major flooding, blizzard conditions, strong winds and a possible tornado outbreak.
According to USA Today, this storm could impact every region of the country. The system will first hit the Pacific coast on Wednesday and will continue to spread through the Central and Eastern states on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
As the storm moves across the U.S., it is expected to stretch across the country from north to south.
How will this storm affect Utah?
Through Thursday and Friday, it is expected that Utah, along with Nevada and Arizona, will receive heavy snow, per USA Today.
According to ABC4.com, Utah is expected to start receiving mountain snow by early Thursday, especially in southern mountain areas.
There has been a Winter Storm Watch issued for Utah’s mountains, including the Wasatch, Western Uintas, Northern Central and Southern mountains. This watch will start at 6 a.m. on Thursday and will be in effect for 24 hours.
The Winter Storm Watch is likely to evolve into warnings or advisories, per ABC4.com.
Severe weather threats across the country
When the storm first hits the Pacific coast, heavy rains and snows will bring a risk of rock and mudslides to California, per USA Today.
There will be severe weather advisories on Friday stretching from Texas to the Dakotas, warning residents of a risk of “severe thunderstorms,” per AccuWeather. These thunderstorms in the central U.S. will also bring high winds with gusts of 65 to 75 mph, as well as large, damaging hail and torrential downpours.
“Should the storm develop to its full potential, it could be one of the strongest on record for the region in terms of low pressure. The more intense the storm, the greater the amount of energy will be available for severe weather, rain, snow and winds in general,” per AccuWeather.
Along with thunderstorms, there is also the potential high risk for tornadoes to manifest through the Great Plains and the Mississippi Valley on Friday and Saturday.
As the storm system moves east on Saturday, the severe weather threat will extend from the central Gulf coast north to the Great Lakes region. This will bring heavy thunderstorms to states such as Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama.
The Midwest will also be threatened by damaging wind gusts, large hail and torrential rains. There is also a risk of flash flooding in the southern Appalachians and the Tennessee Valley.
According to AccuWeather, as the storm reaches the Atlantic coast on Sunday, the severe thunderstorms are likely to bring more flash floods.