Thunderstorms roll into Gulf Coast states, snow dumps on Michigan

It’ll be a relatively drama-free St. Patrick’s Day for most of the country when it comes to weather on Friday. 

Strong thunderstorms will roll across states in the Gulf Coast, parts of Michigan will get more than a foot of snow, and Californians will get a little break from what has been a torrent of storms. 

Thunderstorms coming from the east will affect cities including New Orleans, Pensacola, Florida and the southwestern part of Georgia, said Bob Larson, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather.

Meanwhile a storm affect parts of the Midwest on Thursday centers over Michigan on Friday, with more than a foot of snow expected in northern parts of the state and rain showers to the south. 

Here’s what you need to know about Friday’s weather:

The South

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for portions of southeast Arkansas, northeast Louisiana, and much of Mississippi.

Isolated severe thunderstorms are possible, and tornados can’t be ruled out, according to the outlook. Residents can also expect hail and damaging wind gusts up to 65 mph, Larson said. 

The storm will move out of the region by Saturday, though rain showers will likely continue, he said. 

The Midwest

A winter storm moves from Wisconsin and Minnesota into central and northern Michigan on Tuesday, with 6 to 12 inches of snow expected to fall in some parts. 

By Saturday that storm will move on to eastern Canada but it will produce a lot of wind on its backside, creating gusty winds between 40 and 50 mph throughout Michigan and northern Ohio and Indiana, Larson said. 

Residents can likely expect some localized tree damage and power outages as a result, he said. 

A break for California, the Northeast

Meanwhile California is coming off its 11th atmospheric river of the season, which has dumped so much rain and snow that the state ended water restrictions for nearly 7 million people.

Atmospheric river: The weather phenomenon extends thousands of miles from the tropics to the western U.S

Though some showers and rain are expected at higher elevations in California on Friday, most of the state will have a few days to dry out before another atmospheric river arrives on Monday. 

The Northeast is also experiencing a bit of a break, with winds and cold subsiding Friday, though some light rain showers could move in during the evening.