The FOX Forecast Center is tracking an active pattern that will create an elevated threat of severe weather from Texas to the Southeast that is expected to last through the work weekend.
A storm system will tap into available moisture and produce the threat of hail, damaging winds and tornadoes.
WHY TORNADO VALLEY IS TURNING TOWN
The cold side of the storm system will produce a powerful winter storm that will blast across at least 10 states with snow and ice from the Midwest to the Northeast later this week.
The severe weather threat comes after a deadly outbreak that affected the Plains, Mississippi and Ohio valleys, but the FOX Forecast Center believes the upcoming multi-day threat will be centered in areas further south and could ‘g has many effects.
“We’re definitely starting the month with a lot of lion behavior,” said FOX Weather meteorologist Britta Merwin. “Weather could be affected. We’re really focusing on northeast Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas — some areas that were hit pretty hard last month.”
Thursday’s weather forecast: High risk day
A large outbreak of severe weather, including tornadoes, widespread damaging wind gusts and large hail, are all likely to be seen from Thursday night into the evening hours.
More moisture and atmospheric components absent on Wednesday are expected to be available on Thursday.
HOW YOU SHOULD PREPARE FOR A TORNADO
More than 45 million residents from Texas to northwest Georgia are under threat of severe thunderstorms.
Communities with an increased threat of severe storms include Dallas-Fort Worth, Little Rock in Arkansas; Shreveport in Louisiana, Jackson in Mississippi and Memphis in Tennessee.
Several National Weather Service offices are warning that severe weather outbreaks could include strong, long-track tornadoes of EF-2 or higher intensity.
NIGHT TORNADOES ARE MORE DEADLY THAN DAY
Friday’s weather forecast: A severe threat is pushing east
The FOX Forecast Center expects the threat of severe storms to continue through early Friday morning and possibly reenergize as the cold front moves eastward with increased solar heating.
Damaging wind gusts and a few tornadoes are expected to be the main concern for Friday’s storms.
Cities under threat of severe weather on Friday include Nashville in Tennessee, Birmingham in Alabama, Atlanta, Charleston in South Carolina and Charlotte in North Carolina.
Hurricanes also pose a risk of flash flooding
The threat of flash flooding will also increase through Friday, with some areas in the South seeing heavy downpours.
Computer forecast models show that parts of Arkansas, Tennessee and southern Kentucky could get 3 to 5 inches of additional rain through Friday.
When thunderstorms stop or repeatedly track the same areas, rivers and streams rise quickly, especially in communities near waterways that are already considered full.
Hurricanes become major producers of ice
Tornado watches were issued for more than 6 million people in a half-dozen southern states Wednesday, and thunderstorms produced heavy hail in the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area.
The hail was like snow on the ground in North Texas, and witnesses reported that the stones varied in size from peas to larger than ping pong balls.
SPC has received numerous reports of hail and several damaging wind events from Texas to the Ohio Valley.
Tornado sirens sounded in many communities across the South during the overnight hours as several Severe Thunderstorm and Tornado warnings were issued.