Weather

A powerful storm will strengthen Thursday into Friday as it moves from the central states to off the Mid-Atlantic Coast. The system will affect areas from the Midwest to the lower Mid-Atlantic and the Southeast on Thursday. Enough rain may fall to aggravate flooding in parts of the Ohio Valley. Flash and urban flooding may occur from the central Gulf Coast to the southern and central Appalachians and the Mid-Atlantic Coast. Damaging thunderstorms could develop in parts of the Carolinas and Georgia. Rain will change to snow as the storm moves east across the lower Great Lakes. Florida can expect another warm day. Most of the state has experienced the warmest February on record.

On Friday, the system will bring coastal flooding, high winds, beach erosion and flooding rain to the Northeast, with heavy, wet snow in some inland areas. Cooler air will reach Florida on Friday.

A different storm will move into the Pacific Coast and over the interior Northwest. This will result in drenching rain, mountain snow and lowering snow levels. Multiple feet of snow are projected to accumulate in the Sierra Nevada, and enough rain may fall to cause flash flooding and mudslides in lower elevations of California.

FOCUS: Heavy Snow to Fall in Northeast

The same storm threatening the New England Coast with severe coastal flooding will bring heavy snow from western New York to northeastern Pennsylvania on Thursday night and into Friday. Gusts will exceed 40 mph from Maine to Virginia.