Southern U.S. storm forecast to unleash many months’ worth of snow on parts of New Mexico and Texas, U.S.

Moderate to major impacts are likely across much of southeast New Mexico and parts of West Texas through early this weekend due to heavy snow and gusty winds.

• A storm tracking through the southern United States will pack heavy rain that will hinder post-Thanksgiving travel and could trigger urban flooding in Houston, Atlanta, and New Orleans, AccuWeather meteorologists say
• The same storm will also unleash many months’ worth of snow on parts of New Mexico and western Texas into the Thanksgiving weekend
• Be sure to plan ahead if traveling as roads, and especially bridges and overpasses, will likely become slick and hazardous, NWS Weather Prediction Center warns

The NWS Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued a Moderate Risk of excessive rainfall over parts of the Western Gulf Coast through Saturday morning.¹

The associated heavy rain will create numerous areas of flash flooding. Furthermore, many streams may flood, potentially affecting larger rivers.

On Saturday, the excessive rainfall threat will reduce two categories to a Marginal Risk of excessive rainfall over the Lower Mississippi Valley and Central Gulf Coast. The associated heavy rain will create localized areas of flash flooding, affecting areas that experience rapid runoff with heavy rain.

Moreover, temperatures will be 5 to 15 °C (10 to 30 °F) below average under the upper-level low under the Southern High Plains.

Meanwhile, the moisture that will intersect with the cold temperatures will produce areas of heavy snow over parts of western Texas and the Southern High Plains on Friday, ending on Saturday morning.

The snow will result in reduced visibility and hazardous driving conditions. Therefore, the snow has prompted Winter Storm Warnings and Winter Weather Advisories through Saturday, November 26.

A broad area of 50 to 100 mm (2 to 4 inches) rain is in store from central Texas to southern Mississippi and the Florida Panhandle through Saturday with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 305 mm (12 inches) most likely to occur in southeastern Texas and/or southwestern Louisiana. Additional rain will fall farther to the east during the latter part of the weekend with a general 25 – 50 mm (1-2 inches) in parts of Georgia and the Carolinas.²

The heaviest snow is likely to fall along the Texas and New Mexico border through a large part of eastern New Mexico from Thursday night to early Saturday.

“Roswell, New Mexico, which averages 244 mm (9.6 inches) of snow per year, could receive an entire season’s worth of snow from this single storm,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski said.

Lubbock, Texas could end up with half of its seasonal average of 178 mm (7 inches).

Motorists should be prepared for slippery travel along interstates 10, 20 and 40, as well as U.S. Route 283 in western Texas. In New Mexico, wintry travel is likely over portions of Route 283, I-25 and I-40.

References:

¹ Short Range Forecast Discussion – NWS Weather Prediction Center College Park MD – 317 AM EST Fri Nov 25 2022

² Southern US storm to unleash travel disruptions from rain, ‘season’s worth of snow’ – AccuWeather – November 24/25, 2022

Featured image credit: NOAA/GOES-East, The Watchers. Acquired at 20:20 UTC on November 24, 2022

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