A storm is expected to bring rain and snow in the Rockies to the center of the Atlantic

A winter storm is expected to start in the Rocky Mountains on Monday night and head east, causing rain and possible flooding in the southeastern United States.

The storm system is expected to begin in the southern and central Rockies, with lower rainfall in the southwest, which will become snowy on Tuesday morning. Temperatures in the Central Plains and Rockies are expected to drop 15 to 26 degrees below average, the National Weather Service said.

Snowfall of two to six inches is expected Tuesday in the central plains and the Midwest, and is expected for the Great Lakes and northeast Wednesday.

Forecasters say that there could be a risk of more than four inches of heavy snow in the central Atlantic coastal region on Wednesday. The snow can turn into a mixture of slush and rain.

Winter weather warnings were issued for Oklahoma City, St. Louis, Washington DC and Philadelphia.

The new storm comes just two weeks after the United States was hit by a deadly polar vortex. Cold, cold weather during the vortex was associated with multiple deaths.