Severe thunderstorms to target Dixie Alley this week
Mild air the start of this week in the South will set the stage for severe thunderstorms to erupt later this week.
By
Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist &
Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 2, 2020 2:33 PM EDT
You've heard of Tornado Alley, but did you know there's another part of the United States that's also prone to violent tornadoes?
Mild air at the start of this week in the South will set the stage for severe thunderstorms to erupt during the middle days of this week.
Prior to the arrival of the storm system, above-average temperatures will warm much of the eastern half of the United States. This will act as one of the ingredients for the severe weather in the coming days.
A powerful storm from the Rockies early in the week will impact parts of the South on Tuesday, and enhance thunderstorms across portions of eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Places like Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana; the Texarkana area and even Jackson, Mississippi, could experience heavy and gusty thunderstorms from later Tuesday into Tuesday night.
A small number of the storms can become severe wtih damaging wind gusts, hail and flash flooding.
The threat for severe weather will increase farther to the east on Wednesday. The greatest threat for severe weather is likely to extend from the middle of Wednesday afternoon to the middle of Thursday afternoon as the storm system moves along.
Parts of Mississippi, Alabama, southeastern Louisiana, western Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, may be in the line of fire on Wednesday.
"Very warm and moist air will be lofted northward out of the Gulf of Mexico into southern Louisiana and Mississippi on Wednesday. There will be the potential for severe thunderstorms later in the day on Wednesday across these areas," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio.
The main threats on Wednesday include damaging wind gusts and hail, but even a couple of tornadoes are possible, according to Rossio.
Numerous airports across the South could face travel delays.
Travel delays will also impact motorists at midweek. Windshield wipers will likely be working overtime across stretches of interstates 10, 20, 22, 55, 65, 75 and even all the way to the I-95 corridor by Thursday.
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Farther north across the mid-South, where there is a lesser chance of severe weather, a persistent rain could cause flooding issues. By Thursday, some localized areas could receive 2-4 inches of rainfall.
The already soaked ground means that one heavy shower or thunderstorm could result in flooding.
The threat for heavy rain and thunderstorms will continue to expand into the Southeast into Thursday. Areas from central and southeastern Georgia to north-central and northeastern Florida as well as South Carolina and central and eastern North Carolina may face the threat for severe weather as the potent storm system tracks eastward.
"Though an isolated tornado or two will still be possible, damaging straight-line winds will be far more prevalent on Thursday across these areas," added Rossio.
Although Tornado Alley in the Plains typically has more tornadoes throughout a calendar year, in Dixie Alley they have been known to be deadlier. Faster storm motion, more densely populated areas and an increased number of nighttime tornadoes are some of the factors behind this statistic.
In the wake of the storm system, chilly air is expected to filter southward. This will allow for some snow to develop from Texas to Missouri midweek.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Severe thunderstorms to target Dixie Alley this week
Mild air the start of this week in the South will set the stage for severe thunderstorms to erupt later this week.
By Brandon Buckingham, AccuWeather Meteorologist & Courtney Travis, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Feb 2, 2020 2:33 PM EDT
You've heard of Tornado Alley, but did you know there's another part of the United States that's also prone to violent tornadoes?
Mild air at the start of this week in the South will set the stage for severe thunderstorms to erupt during the middle days of this week.
Prior to the arrival of the storm system, above-average temperatures will warm much of the eastern half of the United States. This will act as one of the ingredients for the severe weather in the coming days.
A powerful storm from the Rockies early in the week will impact parts of the South on Tuesday, and enhance thunderstorms across portions of eastern Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana.
Places like Shreveport and Monroe, Louisiana; the Texarkana area and even Jackson, Mississippi, could experience heavy and gusty thunderstorms from later Tuesday into Tuesday night.
A small number of the storms can become severe wtih damaging wind gusts, hail and flash flooding.
The threat for severe weather will increase farther to the east on Wednesday. The greatest threat for severe weather is likely to extend from the middle of Wednesday afternoon to the middle of Thursday afternoon as the storm system moves along.
Parts of Mississippi, Alabama, southeastern Louisiana, western Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, may be in the line of fire on Wednesday.
"Very warm and moist air will be lofted northward out of the Gulf of Mexico into southern Louisiana and Mississippi on Wednesday. There will be the potential for severe thunderstorms later in the day on Wednesday across these areas," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rossio.
The main threats on Wednesday include damaging wind gusts and hail, but even a couple of tornadoes are possible, according to Rossio.
Numerous airports across the South could face travel delays.
Travel delays will also impact motorists at midweek. Windshield wipers will likely be working overtime across stretches of interstates 10, 20, 22, 55, 65, 75 and even all the way to the I-95 corridor by Thursday.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Farther north across the mid-South, where there is a lesser chance of severe weather, a persistent rain could cause flooding issues. By Thursday, some localized areas could receive 2-4 inches of rainfall.
The already soaked ground means that one heavy shower or thunderstorm could result in flooding.
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The threat for heavy rain and thunderstorms will continue to expand into the Southeast into Thursday. Areas from central and southeastern Georgia to north-central and northeastern Florida as well as South Carolina and central and eastern North Carolina may face the threat for severe weather as the potent storm system tracks eastward.
"Though an isolated tornado or two will still be possible, damaging straight-line winds will be far more prevalent on Thursday across these areas," added Rossio.
Although Tornado Alley in the Plains typically has more tornadoes throughout a calendar year, in Dixie Alley they have been known to be deadlier. Faster storm motion, more densely populated areas and an increased number of nighttime tornadoes are some of the factors behind this statistic.
In the wake of the storm system, chilly air is expected to filter southward. This will allow for some snow to develop from Texas to Missouri midweek.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo