Rounds of severe storms to impact Central, East US
A pattern featuring waves of rain and thunderstorms will plague locations from Texas to southern New England over the upcoming days, AccuWeather forecasters warn.
Severe thunderstorms rumbled across hundreds of miles on May 2, hitting parts of the Gulf Coast especially hard.
While the saying goes “April showers will bring May flowers,” the first full week of May will feature its fair share of showers and thunderstorms across the Central and eastern U.S. A common springtime pattern with rounds of storms will continue to grip locations from the South Central states to the Northeast in the upcoming days, harboring a daily threat for severe weather.
“A slow-moving storm over the Central United States this week will act as the catalyst for both a risk for severe thunderstorms and flooding rainfall,” explained AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham.
Severe threat to persist early this week
As a storm becomes more organized across the Central U.S., it will spark yet another wave of rain and robust thunderstorms across the region.
"A powerful spring storm crashing into the West Coast will feature a risk for severe weather as it moves inland early this week. This storm will be able to tap into ample available moisture out of the Gulf, and prompt a risk for both flooding and severe thunderstorms from Texas to the central Gulf Coast," added Buckingham.
"Many of these areas across Texas and the Gulf Coast have experienced heavy rainfall in recent days and weeks, so flash flooding and even river flooding will be possible," noted Buckingham.
Portions of West Texas and far eastern New Mexico will be at risk for large hailstones within storms that develop late on Monday, some of which could have diameters upwards of 2.5 inches, equivalent to the size of a tennis ball.
Travelers along interstates 10 and 20 in western and central Texas could face travel delays as storms ignite across the region. The threat of gusty crosswinds and even isolated tornadoes will grow as the evening continues.
By Tuesday, a heavy rain and thunderstorm pattern will impact locations across central and eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma into Arkansas and Louisiana. While storms can also produce intense winds, hail and isolated tornadoes, the risk of flash flooding will be at the forefront from Tuesday to Tuesday night.
Rainfall rates within the most intense storms could briefly exceed 1-2 inches per hour.
As the middle to latter half of the week goes on, additional showers and thunderstorms can develop across the Central and Southeast U.S. The risk for localized flooding will linger, especially in parts of eastern Texas and along the Gulf Coast, as repeat rounds of storms drench the region on Wednesday.
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