Dangerous storms, tornadoes to threaten a dozen states across South
By
Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 21, 2022 11:29 AM EST
|
Updated Mar 22, 2022 12:27 PM EST
A Walmart employee shared this video of people screaming for shoppers in the parking lot to run to the shelter of the store as debris flew through the air.
A major multi-day severe weather threat is putting more than 50 million Americas at risk for violent and life-threatening thunderstorms, AccuWeather forecasters warn.
From Monday through Wednesday, more than a dozen states from the southern Plains to the Southeastern coast were facing some type of severe weather risk, including the areas in Texas and parts of Oklahoma that were blasted by a tornado outbreak on Monday. The severe weather outbreak will pose a significant risk to lives and property through the middle of the week with the peak of dangerous conditions on Tuesday and Tuesday night.
“This setup has the potential to produce strong and long-lived tornadoes, some of which can occur at night,” AccuWeather Senior On-Air Meteorologist Michelle Rotella said. Forecasters say people are urged to closely monitor the situation and have a way to receive weather alerts throughout the day and night.
Tornadoes began to touch ground in Texas Monday at 3:41 p.m. CDT, with major structural damage reported by first responders in the city of Jacksboro, Texas, 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Buildings hit by the tornado in Jacksboro included the local high school and elementary school, with no injuries reported at either location.
At 5:57 p.m. CDT, a tornado was confirmed on the ground at major Texas highway I-35 in Round Rock, part of the greater Austin area, creating a debris field amid the destruction. Nearby Granger, Texas, was also hit with a confirmed tornado Monday evening, as well as the Oklahoma town of Kingston.
Along with the tornado risk, some of the storms will produce damaging hail ranging from the size of golf balls to baseballs, powerful winds with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 90 mph on Tuesday, frequent lightning strikes and flash flooding.
Moisture began to flow northward from the Gulf of Mexico Monday morning after dry air spread from west to east over the South Central and Southeastern states this weekend. This surge of moisture, combined with strong jet stream winds, will allow thunderstorm clouds to tower 8 miles, or about 42,000 feet, above the ground, with some extending even higher into the atmosphere.
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When storms reach this high into the atmosphere, powerful wind gusts can be transported down to the surface by way of violent downdrafts, while strong updrafts can allow hailstones to reach an enormous size, often resulting in the formation of damaging hailstones.
As storms shift eastward across portions of the central Gulf Coast and the lower Mississippi Valley regions on Tuesday, the threat of multiple and strong tornadoes will increase.
Some of the tornadoes that occur on Tuesday may last more than a couple of minutes and could be on the ground for several miles. In some cases, the tornadoes could be concealed by low clouds, rain and even the dark of night. The greatest threat of tornadoes will extend from southern Louisiana to much of Mississippi and western Alabama.
This image shows the severe weather threat level expressed as tiers. In this case, moderate (red) represents the most significant risk of severe weather on Tuesday. (Storm Prediction Center)
A moderate risk of severe thunderstorms has also been issued for Tuesday by the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (SPC). This area covers a population of more than 2 million and includes cities such as Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
"There is also the possibility that strong storms can reach as far north as portions of southern Missouri and parts of Tennessee for a brief time on Tuesday afternoon," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert cautioned.
This same area under the spotlight for severe thunderstorms, as well as locations farther north, will also be at risk for heavy rainfall that can cause flash flooding on small streams and around urban locations. The copious rainfall could also produce significant rises on some of the rivers.
Around 2-4 inches of rain is forecast for a broad area with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ total of 8 inches. Through Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning, the risk of flooding will be greatest from the central Gulf Coast northward to much of Kentucky and the southern portions of Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, as well as the western parts of Virginia and North Carolina.
Flash flooding can create dangerous conditions for motorists, especially for those venturing on secondary roads at night, when it may be difficult to see high water due to terrain and lighting conditions, experts say.
The risk of severe thunderstorms will not end on Tuesday -- it will simply shift to places farther east. Wednesday will bring another round of severe weather, once again including the potential for a few tornadoes, from northern Florida to eastern Virginia and perhaps southeastern Maryland.
"The risk of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday may be short-lived compared to prior days during the outbreak since the atmospheric energy that was producing the dangerous conditions to this point will be departing," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
Thunderstorms that survive Tuesday night are likely to continue advancing across the Southeast region on Wednesday morning, perhaps in a weakened or weakening state. The most likely time severe thunderstorms could break out across the Atlanta area will be early on Wednesday morning.
People in this part of the Southeast should be prepared for disruptive to locally dangerous weather conditions including strong wind gusts, hail and flash flooding.
In addition to the southeastern United States, AccuWeather forecasters are growing concerned about a secondary area of severe weather on Wednesday. Severe thunderstorms are forecast to fire up Wednesday afternoon across a significant portion of the Ohio Valley.
A wide swath from eastern Indiana to Kentucky, West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania will be at risk for storms that can produce damaging wind gusts, torrential rainfall and even an isolated tornado or two. Residents of major metros like Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; and Pittsburgh will all need to keep an eye to the sky for rapidly changing conditions Wednesday afternoon.
There is the possibility of another spike in severe weather along part of the Atlantic coast on Thursday if a storm forms along a cold front that slows and stalls over the Southeast states, forecasters say.
"At this time, locally damaging winds and brief heavy downpours appear to be the main threat with any stronger storm that roars to life on Thursday," Gilbert said.
For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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News / Severe Weather
Dangerous storms, tornadoes to threaten a dozen states across South
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Mar 21, 2022 11:29 AM EST | Updated Mar 22, 2022 12:27 PM EST
A Walmart employee shared this video of people screaming for shoppers in the parking lot to run to the shelter of the store as debris flew through the air.
A major multi-day severe weather threat is putting more than 50 million Americas at risk for violent and life-threatening thunderstorms, AccuWeather forecasters warn.
From Monday through Wednesday, more than a dozen states from the southern Plains to the Southeastern coast were facing some type of severe weather risk, including the areas in Texas and parts of Oklahoma that were blasted by a tornado outbreak on Monday. The severe weather outbreak will pose a significant risk to lives and property through the middle of the week with the peak of dangerous conditions on Tuesday and Tuesday night.
“This setup has the potential to produce strong and long-lived tornadoes, some of which can occur at night,” AccuWeather Senior On-Air Meteorologist Michelle Rotella said. Forecasters say people are urged to closely monitor the situation and have a way to receive weather alerts throughout the day and night.
Tornadoes began to touch ground in Texas Monday at 3:41 p.m. CDT, with major structural damage reported by first responders in the city of Jacksboro, Texas, 60 miles northwest of Fort Worth. Buildings hit by the tornado in Jacksboro included the local high school and elementary school, with no injuries reported at either location.
At 5:57 p.m. CDT, a tornado was confirmed on the ground at major Texas highway I-35 in Round Rock, part of the greater Austin area, creating a debris field amid the destruction. Nearby Granger, Texas, was also hit with a confirmed tornado Monday evening, as well as the Oklahoma town of Kingston.
Along with the tornado risk, some of the storms will produce damaging hail ranging from the size of golf balls to baseballs, powerful winds with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 90 mph on Tuesday, frequent lightning strikes and flash flooding.
Moisture began to flow northward from the Gulf of Mexico Monday morning after dry air spread from west to east over the South Central and Southeastern states this weekend. This surge of moisture, combined with strong jet stream winds, will allow thunderstorm clouds to tower 8 miles, or about 42,000 feet, above the ground, with some extending even higher into the atmosphere.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
When storms reach this high into the atmosphere, powerful wind gusts can be transported down to the surface by way of violent downdrafts, while strong updrafts can allow hailstones to reach an enormous size, often resulting in the formation of damaging hailstones.
As storms shift eastward across portions of the central Gulf Coast and the lower Mississippi Valley regions on Tuesday, the threat of multiple and strong tornadoes will increase.
Some of the tornadoes that occur on Tuesday may last more than a couple of minutes and could be on the ground for several miles. In some cases, the tornadoes could be concealed by low clouds, rain and even the dark of night. The greatest threat of tornadoes will extend from southern Louisiana to much of Mississippi and western Alabama.
This image shows the severe weather threat level expressed as tiers. In this case, moderate (red) represents the most significant risk of severe weather on Tuesday. (Storm Prediction Center)
A moderate risk of severe thunderstorms has also been issued for Tuesday by the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (SPC). This area covers a population of more than 2 million and includes cities such as Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
"There is also the possibility that strong storms can reach as far north as portions of southern Missouri and parts of Tennessee for a brief time on Tuesday afternoon," AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert cautioned.
This same area under the spotlight for severe thunderstorms, as well as locations farther north, will also be at risk for heavy rainfall that can cause flash flooding on small streams and around urban locations. The copious rainfall could also produce significant rises on some of the rivers.
Around 2-4 inches of rain is forecast for a broad area with an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ total of 8 inches. Through Tuesday night and into early Wednesday morning, the risk of flooding will be greatest from the central Gulf Coast northward to much of Kentucky and the southern portions of Indiana, Illinois and Missouri, as well as the western parts of Virginia and North Carolina.
Flash flooding can create dangerous conditions for motorists, especially for those venturing on secondary roads at night, when it may be difficult to see high water due to terrain and lighting conditions, experts say.
The risk of severe thunderstorms will not end on Tuesday -- it will simply shift to places farther east. Wednesday will bring another round of severe weather, once again including the potential for a few tornadoes, from northern Florida to eastern Virginia and perhaps southeastern Maryland.
"The risk of severe thunderstorms on Wednesday may be short-lived compared to prior days during the outbreak since the atmospheric energy that was producing the dangerous conditions to this point will be departing," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
Thunderstorms that survive Tuesday night are likely to continue advancing across the Southeast region on Wednesday morning, perhaps in a weakened or weakening state. The most likely time severe thunderstorms could break out across the Atlanta area will be early on Wednesday morning.
People in this part of the Southeast should be prepared for disruptive to locally dangerous weather conditions including strong wind gusts, hail and flash flooding.
In addition to the southeastern United States, AccuWeather forecasters are growing concerned about a secondary area of severe weather on Wednesday. Severe thunderstorms are forecast to fire up Wednesday afternoon across a significant portion of the Ohio Valley.
A wide swath from eastern Indiana to Kentucky, West Virginia and southwestern Pennsylvania will be at risk for storms that can produce damaging wind gusts, torrential rainfall and even an isolated tornado or two. Residents of major metros like Louisville, Kentucky; Cincinnati and Columbus, Ohio; and Pittsburgh will all need to keep an eye to the sky for rapidly changing conditions Wednesday afternoon.
There is the possibility of another spike in severe weather along part of the Atlantic coast on Thursday if a storm forms along a cold front that slows and stalls over the Southeast states, forecasters say.
"At this time, locally damaging winds and brief heavy downpours appear to be the main threat with any stronger storm that roars to life on Thursday," Gilbert said.
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For the latest weather news check back on AccuWeather.com. Watch the AccuWeather Network on DIRECTV, Frontier, Spectrum, fuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios. AccuWeather Now is now available on your preferred streaming platform.
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