"We're looking for more heavy precipitation, mostly rain and snow in the Northern Rockies and parts of the Pacific Northwest, with up to a foot of snow in higher elevations," said Michael Eckert, a senior forecaster with the National Weather Service in Camp Springs, Md.

The system spawned a tornado that ripped through part of the rural community of Catahoula, La., about 6 a.m. Monday, said Maj. Ginny Higgins of the St. Martin Parish sheriff's department. A woman was treated for broken legs after she was struck by flying debris, Higgins said.

Another twister killed a 46-year-old woman in Laurel, Miss., Sunday.

Winds of 80 to 100 mph knocked down trees, power lines and small structures in Texas and Oklahoma. Bell Buckle, Tenn., had 10 inches of rain between Friday and Monday mornings, Eckert said.

The pattern is the result of a series of storms riding the jet stream from the Pacific Northwest over the southern Plains and north into the Mid-Atlantic states.

Greg Carbin, a spokesman for the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., said the storm system is typical of this time of year.

"We're into spring, so you can see several days in a row of severe strong thunderstorm activity," Carbin said. "We could see ... perhaps two to three more episodes over the next five days."

Eckert predicted an average of 5 more inches of rain by Friday.

"We have numerous areas that have flood warnings currently in place because all the rivers and streams in these areas are inundated," Eckert said.

Contributing: The Associated Press

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