Christmas will be dry, but potent storm waiting in the wings

Consider it an early gift for Christmas travelers: It’s going to be clear sailing for most, unless you’re head to Nebraska, Iowa or the South.

Kansas City on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day will see highs in the upper 40s to low 50s.

Christmas Eve travelers could face light rain or a snow mix across far northern Missouri on Thursday, but little or no accumulation is expected, according to the National Weather Service.

Meanwhile, parts of Nebraska and Iowa will likely see rain and snow, with up to three to 4 inches of snow falling in the Omaha area.

The storm system that produced the severe weather Wednesday across the south will continue to move east, according to the National Weather Service.

Residents of northern Mississippi and across the Southeast were beginning to take stock after fierce storms that killed at least six across the region whipped through.

The deadly spring-like storms killed three in Mississippi, two others in Tennessee and one in Arkansas before the worst passed Wednesday night.

Mulester Johnson says he and relatives were inside his house in Holly Springs, Mississippi, when the storm hit.

He says the wind tore the back of his house from its foundation and multiple sheds were missing afterward. Trees rested atop several trucks on his property, and slabs of brick walls were strewn throughout his yard.

Officials say a 7-year-old boy died in Holly Springs, Mississippi, when the storm picked up and tossed the car he was riding in.

The storm system has diminished in strength, but isolated severe thunderstorms will still be possible from the Mid-Atlantic to the Gulf Coast.

Rain is expected to move into the Kansas City region this weekend in advance of a potent winter storm system. The winter storm is expected to move through the area Sunday through Monday with rain, snow and freezing rain possible.

It’s too early to tell the timing, track, amounts and types of precipitation that will reach the Kansas City area.

This story was originally published December 24, 2015 at 7:57 AM with the headline "Christmas will be dry, but potent storm waiting in the wings."