With metro Atlanta expecting a rainy last weekend of 2019, other parts of the nation are under deluge from a powerful winter storm making its way from California to the Upper Plains.
The National Weather Service said a trough situated over the desert Southwest on Friday morning is behind a surface low-pressure system moving eastward. That low-pressure system is forecast to become a powerful winter storm stretching from eastern Colorado to Minnesota.
Winter storm watches are in effect across these areas, with the potential of 6 inches to 12 inches of wind-blown snow from northern Nebraska to southeastern North Dakota. Blizzard conditions are likely for some of these areas.
Heavy snow is also expected for the central Rockies.
The storm has already unleashed downpours and extensive snowfall on Southern California, triggering a tornado and snarling post-Christmas travel on major routes Thursday, according to The Associated Press.
Snow shut down Interstate 5 in Tejon Pass north of Los Angeles and stopped traffic elsewhere on the busy highway.
A truck driver was found unresponsive in a rig stopped along the pass. It was not immediately known if the death was weather-related.
Farther to the east, a corridor of freezing rain and sleet is expected from eastern Nebraska to northern Wisconsin. The potential exists for significant ice accumulation from a prolonged period of freezing rain, perhaps greater than a quarter-inch of ice.
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Rain is expected in the warm sector of this storm, with rainfall up to an inch possible across the Midwest.
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Scattered showers and a few storms are likely for Florida, with a sustained period of moist, southeasterly flow. Mild and dry conditions are forecast to continue through Saturday from North Carolina to southern New England before rain returns Sunday.
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