California's deadly wildfires could come to an end in the coming days when a weekend storm douses historically dry terrain, but the storm will come with the potential for a different problem: flash floods.

Around 40 million people in the U.S. are under a winter storm warning from an unusual blast of severe cold weather and snow across the South.

A 60% to 80% chance of thunderstorms is anticipated in the area beginning Saturday, which could bring up to two inches of rainfall, Ryan Kittell, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service's office for Los Angeles,