Severe weather across the country could disrupt holiday travel this weekend

Severe weather is forecast to continue to hit the North West, while the East Coast braces for severe storms that could delay flights and disrupt traffic during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

A series of storms that dropped several inches of rain and snow across the Pacific Northwest this week shows no signs of slowing. National Weather Service forecasters say additional squalls could drop 3 to 5 inches of rain in Northern California, Oregon and Washington on Friday and Saturday, while up to 3 feet of snow could fall at the highest elevations.

As the storms move inland, they will bring snow and winds of up to 45 miles per hour to the Rocky Mountains. Winter storm warnings and other warnings are in effect for much of the Northwest, from California to Wyoming, Idaho and Utah, urging people in the high country to limit their travel. The wet weather could also cause river flooding and rock and mudslides.

“It is strongly recommended that travel plans be modified during the storm. Travel is expected to become very difficult to impossible,” said a warning from the weather service in Denver.

Storms in the southern United States affect large parts of the East Coast

A severe weather phenomenon that canceled hundreds of flights in East Texas on Thursday is expected to continue drenching southern and central U.S. states before moving northeast and bringing heavy rain and wind to the Mid-Atlantic region over the weekend.

According to AccuWeather, thunderstorms and showers are expected to produce downpours Friday, as well as hail and damaging wind gusts from far southeastern Louisiana to central and southern Mississippi.

Rain will continue Saturday through Sunday over the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, but also extend into the Appalachian Mountains and the Great Lakes region, where 2 to 4 inches of rain is expected and up to 8 inches could fall.

The weekend storms threaten possible flooding as much of the rain could fall over stretches lasting hours, causing rapid runoff on city streets and highways, especially in more mountainous areas, AccuWeather warned. Tornadoes are threatening in the Southeast, from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley.

The storms will move across the Mid-Atlantic and New England region from Sunday into next week, bringing “poor visibility, downpours and urban flooding” that forecasters said “could result in significant travel delays.”

“If possible, moving the travel time well before or after the storm’s departure may be a better option,” AccuWeather said in an online forecast.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Severe weather forecast: Snow, rain, possible tornadoes this weekend