Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas impacted by severe weather
A widespread storm traveling from coast to coast will bring a severe thunderstorm risk to central and southern states early this week.
By
Alyssa Glenny, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Feb 20, 2022 7:13 AM EDT
|
Updated Feb 22, 2022 6:38 AM EDT
When severe weather hits, you need to know where you can go to stay safe. Know the proper shelter to hide in when a tornado comes through.
Snow and ice threats will not be the only hazards on the menu across the United States this week as a widespread storm travels from coast to coast. AccuWeather forecasters say that an ongoing severe thunderstorm threat continuing through Tuesday night will impact at least 10 states.
"States such as Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, northeastern Alabama, and southwestern Tennessee, will be at risk for all modes of severe weather early this week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Lauren Hyde explained.
Into Monday night, the cross-country storm emerged east of the Rocky Mountains and spread snow across the Plains and Midwest. That Gulf moisture is being pulled northward into the South Central states and the Mississippi Valley, creating an environment ripe for thunderstorm development through Tuesday night.
"A significant push of deep, moist air will flow from the Gulf of Mexico into portions of the southern United States early this week. This moisture will be the fuel for some potentially explosive storms to form from parts of Texas and Oklahoma, to Mississippi and Tennessee," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert.
Radar screen capture from 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22. showing storms that prompted severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Strong-to-severe thunderstorms began erupting across northern Texas and Oklahoma late Monday evening, putting cities such as Dallas and Oklahoma City at risk for gusty winds and hail. A line of storms tracking through northern Texas and southern Oklahoma prompted multiple severe thunderstorm warnings across the area.
In Oklahoma, a tornado warning was issued Monday night for Atoka County as intense storms rolled through. Multiple hail reports and wind gusts upwards of 55 mph were reported around Dallas.
U.S. Severe Weather map showing the various warnings and watches in place across Arkansas early Tuesday morning.
To give an idea of the wide span of impacts brought by this storm, parts of northern Arkansas were simultaneously under a severe thunderstorm warning, tornado watch, flood watch and a winter storm watch early Tuesday morning.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Gilbert explained that any storm that develops early this week would have the potential to unleash damaging winds, torrential rainfall and hail. However, some of the strongest storms that roar to life will also have the capacity to deliver large hail and potentially spin up an isolated tornado or two.
Damaging wind gusts within the strongest storms can even reach speeds up to the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 75 mph.
The severe weather threat will continue to shift eastward through Tuesday and carry similar risks to southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, western Kentucky, western Tennessee, northern Louisiana and central and northern Mississippi. However, the danger of overnight severe weather and the potential for nocturnal tornadoes creates an even more concerning situation.
"After severe weather blossoms Monday night, severe storms are expected to develop in the afternoon hours and strengthen through the evening on Tuesday. Some of these damaging storms will likely persist into the overnight hours when a large percentage of the population is sleeping," stated Gilbert.
Residents should be prepared for the severe weather before it strikes. Gilbert added that residents in the path of potentially severe storms should make sure to charge up electronic devices in case of power outages and have multiple ways to receive weather warnings.
As of Sunday morning, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has marked the severe threat as "slight" for both Monday and Tuesday. The SPC highlights a slight risk as "short-lived or not widespread, isolated intense storms possible." Nearly 28 million Americans are placed within this zone for severe weather early this week.
In addition to the threat of severe weather, flooding concerns are also mounting across portions of the South.
As much as 1-2 inches of rain could fall across parts of the lower Mississippi and Tennessee River Valleys for the first half of the week, which may cause stream and small river levels to rise. Flash flooding may also occur, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
Motorists should exercise caution while out and about, and avoid driving through flooded roadways.
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.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas impacted by severe weather
A widespread storm traveling from coast to coast will bring a severe thunderstorm risk to central and southern states early this week.
By Alyssa Glenny, AccuWeather Meteorologist
Published Feb 20, 2022 7:13 AM EDT | Updated Feb 22, 2022 6:38 AM EDT
When severe weather hits, you need to know where you can go to stay safe. Know the proper shelter to hide in when a tornado comes through.
Snow and ice threats will not be the only hazards on the menu across the United States this week as a widespread storm travels from coast to coast. AccuWeather forecasters say that an ongoing severe thunderstorm threat continuing through Tuesday night will impact at least 10 states.
"States such as Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, northeastern Alabama, and southwestern Tennessee, will be at risk for all modes of severe weather early this week," AccuWeather Meteorologist Lauren Hyde explained.
Into Monday night, the cross-country storm emerged east of the Rocky Mountains and spread snow across the Plains and Midwest. That Gulf moisture is being pulled northward into the South Central states and the Mississippi Valley, creating an environment ripe for thunderstorm development through Tuesday night.
"A significant push of deep, moist air will flow from the Gulf of Mexico into portions of the southern United States early this week. This moisture will be the fuel for some potentially explosive storms to form from parts of Texas and Oklahoma, to Mississippi and Tennessee," explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Mary Gilbert.
Radar screen capture from 12:15 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 22. showing storms that prompted severe thunderstorm warnings and tornado warnings across Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
Strong-to-severe thunderstorms began erupting across northern Texas and Oklahoma late Monday evening, putting cities such as Dallas and Oklahoma City at risk for gusty winds and hail. A line of storms tracking through northern Texas and southern Oklahoma prompted multiple severe thunderstorm warnings across the area.
In Oklahoma, a tornado warning was issued Monday night for Atoka County as intense storms rolled through. Multiple hail reports and wind gusts upwards of 55 mph were reported around Dallas.
U.S. Severe Weather map showing the various warnings and watches in place across Arkansas early Tuesday morning.
To give an idea of the wide span of impacts brought by this storm, parts of northern Arkansas were simultaneously under a severe thunderstorm warning, tornado watch, flood watch and a winter storm watch early Tuesday morning.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Gilbert explained that any storm that develops early this week would have the potential to unleash damaging winds, torrential rainfall and hail. However, some of the strongest storms that roar to life will also have the capacity to deliver large hail and potentially spin up an isolated tornado or two.
Damaging wind gusts within the strongest storms can even reach speeds up to the AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 75 mph.
The severe weather threat will continue to shift eastward through Tuesday and carry similar risks to southeastern Missouri, southern Illinois, southern Indiana, western Kentucky, western Tennessee, northern Louisiana and central and northern Mississippi. However, the danger of overnight severe weather and the potential for nocturnal tornadoes creates an even more concerning situation.
"After severe weather blossoms Monday night, severe storms are expected to develop in the afternoon hours and strengthen through the evening on Tuesday. Some of these damaging storms will likely persist into the overnight hours when a large percentage of the population is sleeping," stated Gilbert.
Residents should be prepared for the severe weather before it strikes. Gilbert added that residents in the path of potentially severe storms should make sure to charge up electronic devices in case of power outages and have multiple ways to receive weather warnings.
As of Sunday morning, the National Weather Service's Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has marked the severe threat as "slight" for both Monday and Tuesday. The SPC highlights a slight risk as "short-lived or not widespread, isolated intense storms possible." Nearly 28 million Americans are placed within this zone for severe weather early this week.
In addition to the threat of severe weather, flooding concerns are also mounting across portions of the South.
As much as 1-2 inches of rain could fall across parts of the lower Mississippi and Tennessee River Valleys for the first half of the week, which may cause stream and small river levels to rise. Flash flooding may also occur, especially in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
Motorists should exercise caution while out and about, and avoid driving through flooded roadways.
More to read:
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.
Report a Typo