Heavy Rain Could Disrupt College Football Games Across the South

The same tropical moisture mass that fueled several flooding events across the Southwest and the southern Plains this week is making its way to the east, raising concern for similar impacts in the Southeast. Here is the latest on the movement of this surge of tropical moisture.

Tropical Moisture on the Move Into the Southeast and Mid-Atlantic

You might want to have a backup plan for some of those outdoor activities this weekend if you live in the South or the East. Pumpkin patch trips and football games will be threatened as a line of tropical moisture spreads from the Plains to the eastern U.S.

The heavy rain that produced flooding on Thursday in eastern Texas will remain focused on this part of the Lone Star State through late Friday. Low-lying and poor drainage areas will be under the highest risk of flash flooding heading into the weekend. This mass of moisture will stretch as far south and east as the central Gulf Coast from southern Mississippi into the Florida Panhandle.

A cold front tracking through the Ohio Valley and the Northeast will translate to rain showers through Friday evening for places such as Pittsburgh and Nashville. Some of these scattered rain showers could reach as far as the Interstate 95 corridor.

Saturday's forecast is calling for more rain and thunderstorms throughout a large swath of the South. College football fans will want to be prepared for the inclement conditions and the chance of lightning delays. The day features a full slate of big games in college towns such as Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Starkville, Mississippi; Athens, Georgia; and Knoxville, Tennessee. All of these locations will be under the threat of thunderstorm activity during game time.

Flash flooding will be a concern across the central Gulf Coast from New Orleans to the east into the Florida Panhandle. Motorists using Interstate 10 could encounter periods of reduced visibility and ponding on the roadways. Rainfall rates could reach as high as 2 to 3 inches per hour during the peak of the activity.

Moving to the north, the rain is forecast to dissipate by the time that the weekend kicks off. A large high-pressure zone building over southern Canada will direct cooler and less humid air into the northeastern U.S., resulting in highs that top out in the 60s for much of the region. Low humidity and an abundance of sunshine will make it a good day for fall activities before the next round of moisture arrives.

Looking Ahead to Sunday

The wet weather will remain the story for the Southeast and the mid-Atlantic on Sunday. Forecasters are predicting that the soggy conditions will become more widespread at this time as the tropical moisture creeps farther north.

How wet will it be? Widespread rain totals of 1 to 2 inches are on tap from southern Texas to eastern Virginia through the weekend. Localized rain totals of 2 to 4 inches are in the forecast for the Gulf coast and to the north into central Georgia and some areas of the Carolinas. A narrow zone of 4 to 8 inches is likely for the immediate Gulf Coast, expanding from New Orleans to the east into Tallahassee.  

After a pleasant day on Saturday, moisture will return to places such as New York City and Philadelphia on Sunday. NFL games scheduled in Charlotte and Baltimore could be subject to times of downpours and lightning.

Weather changes fast, so help your community stay prepared. Share this story with friends, family, or your group chat, and keep your forecast in the now with Weather Forecast Now.