Severe weather across the country could hamper holiday travel this weekend

Rounds of storms are expected to continue to batter the Northwest as the East Coast braces for powerful storms that could delay flights and snarl traffic during one of the busiest travel times of the year.

A parade of storms that have dropped several inches of rain and snow across the Pacific Northwest this week show no signs of slowing down. Forecasters for the National Weather Service say additional showers Friday and Saturday could drop 3 to 5 inches of rain across northern California, Oregon and Washington, while the highest points could see up to 3 feet of snow.

As the storms push inland, they will bring snow and winds as high as 45 mph to the Rockies. Much of the Northwest, from California to Wyoming, Idaho and Utah, is under winter storm warnings and other warnings warning people in the highlands to limit their travel. The wet weather pattern can also cause river flooding as well as rock and mudslides.

“It is strongly advised to change travel plans during the storm. Travel is expected to be very difficult to impossible,” a warning said from the weather service office in Denver.

Storm across the south-central US affecting much of the East Coast

A severe weather pattern that canceled hundreds of flights in East Texas on Thursday will continue to drench the south-central US states before shifting northeast and bringing heavy rain and wind to the Mid-Atlantic region over the weekend.

Thunderstorms and showers are expected to produce downpours as well as hail and damaging gusts from southeastern Louisiana through central and southern Mississippi on Friday, according to AccuWeather.

From Saturday through Sunday, rain will continue to break out across the Mississippi and Tennessee valleys, but will also expand over the Appalachians and Great Lakes region, where 2 to 4 inches of rain are expected and up to 8 inches could fall.

The weekend storms threaten potential flooding as much of the rain could fall during hour-long stretches that could lead to rapid runoff on city streets and rural roads, especially in more mountainous areas, AccuWeather warned. In the Southeast, from the Gulf Coast to the Tennessee Valley, there will be a threat of tornadoes.

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 warn could “lead to significant travel delays.”

“Moving the travel time to well before or after the storm leaves may be a better option when possible,” AccuWeather said in an online forecast.

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