New winter storm brewing: Big Texas, South trouble

Winter will be in full swing from Texas to the South Thursday and Friday. A major winter storm will bring every winter weather hazard — snow, sleet, freezing rain and cold downpours.

The winter storm will not form until early Thursday when a weak upper system from northern Mexico moves into the Gulf of Mexico and a new winter storm forms. This low will track to the northeast, moving along the Gulf Coast and into the Southeast.

Most of action will be on the storm's northern and western flanks. The TemperatureRadar shows a cold air mass will be in place across northern Texas, Oklahoma, Ozarks and the Mid-South.

Snow will likely fall in a corridor running from central Texas northward into the southern Mid-Atlantic, tracking parallel with the system. The WeatherRadar shows Dallas, Oklahoma City and St. Louis receiving accumulating snow late Thursday and Friday, with Nashville and even the northern Atlanta suburbs receiving snow on Friday. Washington, D.C., and Richmond could receive the snow early Saturday.

Exact accumulations are hard to forecast right now, but 2 to 4 inches are likely in areas mentioned above, with the Ozarks and the southern Appalachians possibly receiving more than 6 inches.

South of the snow, there will be a thin corridor, in pink on the WeatherRadar, of sleet and freezing rain. This could cause slick roads in the areas and localized power outages.

In the warmer air closer to the Gulf of Mexico, heavy rain will fall. Several inches of rain and a few rumbles of thunder will be possible. Localized flooding around streams and creeks are possible.

Weather & Radar meteorologists will track this latest winter storm and offer a live video update at 11 a.m. CT Thursday. Be sure to have Winter Weather Alerts turned on too.