Spotty Severe Storms at Midweek
AccuWeather.com meteorologists are monitoring two areas of potentially damaging thunderstorms the next couple of days. The worst of the storms may occur over the lower Mississippi Valley Wednesday.
A storm rolling into the Four Corners region has the potential to spark a few locally gusty thunderstorms with hail over parts of Arizona, western New Mexico, southern Utah and southwestern Colorado into tonight.
Other dangers from these storms and even in clear air include areas of blowing dust.
Meanwhile, a larger storm system over the middle of the nation represents the main trigger for potentially violent thunderstorms through Wednesday.
The storm system, as a whole, has had a history of producing rotating thunderstorms. One storm spawned a tornado and considerable damage in part of Oklahoma Monday.
While only a few tornadoes are expected at most with this situation moving forward, even one tornado in a populated area could lead to disaster.
Most of the "severe" storms will be very spotty in nature but can produce damaging wind gusts, large hail, blinding downpours and flash flooding.
As we have been saying repeatedly here at AccuWeather.com, chilly Gulf of Mexico waters may limit severe weather well into the spring. The cold water has a tendency to hold back high dew point air and hence limit instability.
This does not mean severe thunderstorms will not occur, but it could result in a lower number of severe thunderstorm incidents, including tornadoes compared to average for weeks to come.
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Daily U.S. Extremes
past 24 hours
| Extreme | Location | |
|---|---|---|
| High | 82° | Gila Bend, AZ |
| Low | -13° | Clayton Lake, ME |
| Precip | 1.24" | Spanish Fork, UT |
WeatherWhys®
The "Dead of Winter," the one-month period when normal temperatures reach their lowest levels, has come to an end for much of the United States. Some people may find it odd that the "Dead of Winter" does not encompass the darkest day of the year (the first day of winter). That is due to a seasonal lag in temperatures. More heat continues to be lost than is gained from the start of winter until this time of year.
This Day In Weather History
Gulf Coast 1 (899)
ry cold morning along Gulf Coast; New Orleans 6.8 deg.; Mobile -1 deg.; Pensacola 7 deg.; Tallahassee -2 deg (All time record for Florida. Brownsville 12 deg. (all time low).
North Dakota 1 (936)
this date the mercury plummeted to -60 deg. at Parshall, ND - the coldest temperature ever for the State of ND. Later the same year, the mercury soared to 121 deg. at Steele, ND - the hottest temperature ever for the state of ND.
Rough Weather
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