JACKSON, Miss. – A winter storm stretching from coast to coast is making its way across the United States on Sunday and Monday, bringing with it the potential for severe thunderstorms in parts of the South. This severe weather is expected to develop on the warm side of the storm system.
The threat of severe weather is anticipated to begin on Sunday afternoon and persist into the evening, spanning from the Sabine River Valley in East Texas through portions of the mid-South and lower Mississippi Valley.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center has issued a Tornado Watch for southern Arkansas, as well as western and northern Louisiana, and East and Southeast Texas until 6 p.m. CT. Additionally, another Tornado Watch has been implemented for far Eastern Arkansas, eastern and southeast Louisiana, and extending southwest into northern Mississippi until 9 p.m.
Damaging wind gusts, large hail, and tornadoes are identified as the primary threats posed by any severe storms that develop on Sunday.
The area most at risk for severe thunderstorms is projected to be situated over parts of northern Louisiana, western Mississippi, and southeastern Arkansas. NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has assigned a Level 3 out of 5 risk of severe weather for this region. There is potential for a few EF-2 or stronger tornadoes to form in this area.
Several of these regions were recently struck by a fatal tornado outbreak last weekend, claiming the lives of at least four individuals. The outbreak stemmed from severe thunderstorms that generated numerous tornadoes across at least seven states.
As the night progresses, the coverage of severe storms is expected to diminish before a fresh threat emerges further east on Monday.
Although the risk of severe weather on Monday is lower, there remains a possibility of a few severe thunderstorms producing damaging winds and the chance of an isolated tornado in parts of Florida and South Georgia.
The arrival of considerably colder air following the coast-to-coast winter storm will bring an end to the thunderstorm threat by Monday night.
