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Deadly western storm extends to Texas; East Coast in its sights for next week

Posted at 9:12 PM, Nov 23, 2013
and last updated 2013-11-23 21:12:18-05

(CNN) -- A deadly winter storm stretched from Southern California to Texas on Saturday and promised to create Thanksgiving week travel problems all the way to the Atlantic.

At least one death was blamed on the weather. A 4-year-old girl was killed Friday when a car carrying her slid off icy U.S. 70 in New Mexico, said Tony Lynn of the state Department of Public Safety. Lynn said the child was not properly restrained.

Winter storm warnings were posted Saturday for parts of Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and California.

Icy roads in West, flood threat in Arizona

Up to 12 inches of snow was forecast for the Los Angeles County mountains Saturday.

Areas near Flagstaff, Arizona, could get up to 5 inches of snow, the National Weather Service said.

Lingering rain also prolonged the flood threat in Arizona, the weather service said. Friday's 1.6 inches of rain in Phoenix made it the second wettest November day ever recorded in the desert city. Lighter amounts were falling Saturday, but drainage areas already were full.

In New Mexico and west Texas, snow and ice covered Interstate 10. The highway was open through Texas, but officials urged caution, especially on bridges.

New Mexico could see up to 8 inches of snow accumulating through Monday.

Storm will reach Carolinas by Monday

On Sunday, the forecast for northern Texas and parts of Oklahoma calls for rain and sleet, and some spots will get up to 4 inches of snow. Rain and sleet will extend through Dallas and into northern Louisiana.

Rain is expected to stretch from Texas to Georgia on Monday and to the Carolinas on Monday night, with sleet and snow in northern parts of that swath.

By Tuesday, the rain will reach the Mid-Atlantic states and parts of the Northeast.

Travel delays next week in Northeast

Rain, wind and possibly snow will cause travel delays beginning as early as Tuesday in the East, said CNN meteorologist Melissa Le Fevre.

"We are going to see delays," Le Fevre said. "We're just waiting to see if the impacts are going to be severe or just annoying."

The deciding factor will be whether a low-pressure system moving north out of the Gulf of Mexico travels inland or close to the East Coast, she said.

According to AAA projections, 43.4 million Americans will travel 50 miles or more from home during the Thanksgiving holiday weekend this year.

CNN's Karen Maginnis and Janet DiGiacomo contributed to this report.