Wintry mess expected across the eastern United States

by Amy Judd | March 4, 2008 at 10:58 am

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While for some residents across North America, Spring is definetely on the way, for many in the eastern United States the worst is yet to come.
There's a cold front crossing the Southeast, which will erupt into strong storms of flooding rain, damaging winds and potentially a tornado as the cold air hits the warm front.

According to the Winter Weather Center, the cold side of the storm will spread a nasty mix of snow, ice and rain from the central Plains to the Northeast today.
Most areas from the Midwest to northern New England will have 1-3 inches of snow, while areas of Wisconsin and northern New England could receive 3-6 inches.
Areas in northern New England could be hit with another round of heavy snow, depending on the track of the storm, while southern Quebec is buried.

This will of course create problems for drivers, and could cause street flooding in some areas.

The storm warnings are in effect until tomorrow, but some areas along the Ohio River will be especially vulnerable this week as another storm is expected to follow on the heels of this one.

Storms will also cause flight delays or cancellations; causing havoc for all passengers.

By tonight, the severe storms are expected to develop as far south as
central Florida as daytime heating adds instability to the atmosphere.
Meanwhile, the East Regional News story reports that thunderstorms containing strong wind gusts and heavy rain will reach as far north as the Delmarva Peninsula and southern New Jersey tonight.

The storm could impact voter turnout in three of the four states taking part in voting today. Texas, Ohio, Vermont and Rhode Island are all going to the polls.

(CNN) -- A flash-flood watch was in effect Tuesday for much of northern Ohio. The northwest corner of the state was under a winter storm warning, with a combination of rain, sleet and snow likely starting Tuesday afternoon, according to CNN meteorologist Reynolds Wolf. But less than an inch of accumulation is expected, he said.

"If you happen to be a diehard politico, if you've really got a candidate that you're going to support, nothing is going to stop you from getting to the polls," Wolf said. "However, if you are looking for an excuse, these scattered snowflakes may be the perfect excuse for you not to go."

Clear weather was expected in most of Texas, although there was a possibility of icy roads Tuesday morning in the extreme northeast corner of the state, according to the National Weather Service.

Northern Vermont was under a winter storm warning, with a wintry mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain expected from late Tuesday afternoon into Wednesday, the weather service said.

Heavy rain was in the forecast for Rhode Island, but it wasn't expected to start until late Tuesday after the polls have closed.

Elsewhere, stormy weather moved through the South on Monday night and Tuesday. A possible tornado touched down late Monday in southern Mississippi, slashing through a National Guard barracks and injuring 14 guardsmen, according to a sheriff and a military spokesman.

Lt. Col. Doril Sanders, a spokesman for Camp Shelby, said severe weather hit the facility around 11:25 p.m. CT.

The barracks housed guardsmen from Mena, Arkansas, who are training at Shelby.

They were taken to Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg with injuries that aren't life-threatening, Sanders said.

The Forrest County Sheriff's Department said a tornado was reported, with the most significant damage at the camp.

Camp Shelby is a Joint Forces Training Center about 75 miles northwest of Mobile, Alabama.

The National Weather Service received two reports of tornadoes Monday in Mississippi, and numerous reports of hail and damage from high winds in a swath from eastern Texas to Alabama, according to the weather service's Web site.

The service issued a tornado watch Tuesday morning for parts of the Florida Panhandle and Georgia.