The combination of heavy rains and existing melting snow from last week’s storm could lead to flooding from the mid-Atlantic Ocean to New England.
New York City, for example, will be under a high wind warning and a flood watch from Thursday evening to Friday morning, with winds predicted between 20-30 mph and gusts of up to 100 mph.
“Anyone who dreams of a white Christmas will have to settle for a windy and drenched holiday,” said New York City Emergency Management Commissioner Deanne Criswell. “The dangers are real, however, and we want every New Yorker to prepare for the potentially damaging winds and heavy rainfall.”
On Wednesday night, blizzard warnings swept much of the Upper Midwest, with winds reporting over 65 mph in parts of the Dakotas, making travel impossible in some areas.
Winter storm warnings were also in effect for the Twin Cities of Minnesota, with six to eight inches of expected snow and near-white conditions.
“Winds can blow up to 60 mph, significantly reducing visibility in drifting snow,” said the National Weather Service.
A spokesperson for the Northwestern, West Central, and Central Minnesota State Patrol said in a tweet that troopers have responded to hundreds of crashes, jumped-off and stalled vehicles, as well as 11 semi-trucks with a knife, just between 4:00 PM and 9:00 PM on Wednesday.
Minnesota government Tim Walz has authorized the state National Guard to provide emergency services to motorists stranded in the winter storm, his office said.
Rain is expected up and down on the east coast
On Christmas Eve, the storm will follow eastward causing a variety of weather and bringing declining temperatures across much of the Midwest. Very strong winds will also accompany the storm, with wind warnings and advisories all the way from the Gulf coast to the US-Canada border.
As the storm moves east, it will mainly be a rainmaker. Christmas Eve will be wet for millions, from Upstate New York to the Florida Panhandle. There may even be some severe storms.
“This storm setup could easily allow dangerous winds and even a few brief isolated tornadoes,” said CNN meteorologist Gene Norman. “Especially on Christmas Eve, the eastern parts of North and South Carolina, southern Georgia and Alabama, and parts of the Florida Panhandle are at risk.”
From the Ohio Valley to the Tennessee Valley, the rain will turn to snow on Thursday afternoon. Much of West Virginia and Eastern Ohio could see 3-5 inches of snow, with higher elevations even more.
Heavy rains after snow can also quickly melt and cause flooding. The National Weather Service in Binghamton, New York, warned residents of the risk.
“Where heavy snow has been falling recently, it could add weight to old snow packs on roofs / structures, resulting in collapsed structures,” the agency said.
The storm will largely disappear by morning, leaving a cold and windy Christmas in the south, but parts of the northeast will be quite warm.
Taylor Ward, Rob Frehse, Raja Razek and Dave Hennen from CNN contributed to this report.