March springlike surge to foster severe storms from Texas to Ohio; plus, Explosive Florida wildfire temporarily shuts down Alligator Alley

0:00From AccuWeather.com, this is AccuWeather Daily, a brief host read article, its weather news, and a nutshell. This episode is brought to you by Factor. Get out of your meal run with Factor and kickstart your healthy eating journey. Factor makes it easy with 100 rotating weekly meals designed by dietitians and crafted by chefs. These meals are delicious and super easy to grab and eat because they're ready in about two minutes. There's tons of meal options too, from high protein to calorie smart, Mediterranean diet options, GLP1 support, ready to eat salads, and more. For me, I'm just looking for a little variety throughout the week. So I recently tried Factor's queso, fendido, and ground beef. In two minutes, it was ready, and what I wasn't expecting was the flavor explosion I got. The queso was rich and creamy. The nicely seasoned ground beef, a perfect complement. But don't just take it from me, try Factor for yourself. Go to FactorMeals.com slash AccuWeather50All and use code AccuWeather50All to get 50% off and

1:03free breakfast for a year. Eat like a pro this month with Factor. New subscribers only, varies by plan. One free breakfast item per box for one year while subscription is active. Well, a clash between winter and spring will unfold starting next week as an active storm track sets up from Texas to the Great Lakes. While storms riding along this corridor will bring rounds of rain, thunderstorms, and the potential for severe weather across parts of the plains and Mississippi Valley into early March. Now, while the pattern may ease drought in some communities, it could also trigger flooding and others. After more rounds of snow and ice sweep from the Midwest to the Northeast into the early part of next week, the storm track will shift later in the week. A pronounced southwards dip in the jet stream will develop over the western U.S. while a northward bulge builds in the east. This configuration will create an atmospheric highway between the two features, steering

2:05multiple storms north eastward from Texas and the southern plains. This pattern will allow warm, moist air from the Gulf to surge northward across much of the plains and Mississippi Valley. As storms move through, they will tap into that moisture while colder air presses in behind them, leading to repeated rounds of downpours and thunderstorms. Acuethers Joe Lundberg said that the setup will be favorable for rounds of severe weather from Texas and Louisiana, north eastward into the middle Mississippi and Ohio valleys. The scope and intensity of the severe weather will depend on the strength and timing of each storm system. Each system could behave differently. Heavy rainfall from repeated thunderstorms could lead to localized urban flooding, but the risk of widespread flooding across the south central state remains low for now, given the significant drought gripping much of the region. In fact, moderate rainfall would be largely beneficial.

3:08However, as subsequent rounds of rain occur, that risk is likely to increase. While the central state's turn wetter, the southeast may receive limited rainfall next week, a high pressure system building over the western Atlantic and extending into the southeast will act as a buffer deflecting heavier rainfall away from the region. Recent dry weather has caused drought to spread across 100% of Florida, with the U.S. drought monitors saying that 67% of the state is experiencing extreme drought, following some short-term rain to end the weekend parts of the southeast. There may be few opportunities for additional rain through much of the first half of March. Drought conditions may worsen, and the risk of wildfires may increase in the long range as a result in the southeast. How consistently warm air reaches the northeast and march remains uncertain as an atmospheric blocking pattern near Greenland may develop.

4:08This setup will cause some cold air to push back into the region at times, but the pattern will also bring periodic warm-ups to the upper Midwest and the northeast. If these thaws coincide with rainfall, the risk of ice jams and river flooding could increase next week. Some of the heaviest rainfall in months across the Mississippi Basin combined with snow melt in parts of the plains and the Midwest will cause water levels to rise along the Ohio, Missouri, and Mainstem, Mississippi rivers in the coming weeks as well. Some of the devastating effects of the dry weather that just spoke about are already showing up in Florida, with a large wildfire burning in the southwestern part of the state, sending thick smoke across interstate 75, leading states troopers to temporarily close the highway. The rapidly growing national fire burning in big cypress national preserve near the Florida Everglades comes as Florida faces widespread and severe drought conditions.

5:12The brush fire began on February 22nd and it has grown to 25,000 acres. The blaze remains uncontrolled. Heavy smoke from the brush fire has created hazardous driving conditions along I-75 South, also known as Alligator Alley, a major highway connecting Naples and the Miami metro area. What a highway patrol closed parts of I-75 between Collier and Broward counties on Wednesday around 9.30pm after the national fire sent smoke pouring across the highway causing extremely poor visibility. The Collier County Sheriff's Office said the highway was back open about four hours later. Florida DOT traffic cameras showed reduced visibility along the roadway and the National Weather Service in Miami issued warnings for drivers traveling along Alligator Alley and the Tammy Amie Trail throughout the week. Florida's wildfire season is off to an early start, fueled by persistent drought and

6:12dry vegetation. Last year, the Florida Everglades and big cypress national preserve experienced the worst drought in 13 years, with parts of the Everglades drying up completely. With no widespread rainfall insight, AccuWeather long-range forecasters say the wildfire danger is expected to remain elevated across much off Florida, officials urge residents and travelers to stay alert for rapidly changing smoke conditions, reduced visibility, and possible road closures. That's all for now. You can find regional forecasts and science-based articles at AccuWeather.com and for your local forecast at your fingertips, download the AccuWeather app. Enjoy the rest of your day, be safe, I'll be back tomorrow with more from AccuWeather.