Severe weather dangers to ramp up for millions this weekend
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Mar 12, 2021 9:16 AM EDT
Confidence is growing among AccuWeather meteorologists that one of the more threatening severe thunderstorm events thus far this year could unfold across the south-central United States this weekend, bringing the whole gamut of hazardous weather.
"This could be the best setup for severe weather out of all the storms [thus far this year]," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
In true March fashion, the same storm forecast to dump feet of snow across the Rockies and High Plains will be the catalyst for igniting feisty thunderstorms farther south and east. These weather extremes are typical of strong March storms as winter and spring battle it out.
"As the storm pivots eastward, it will draw warm, moist air northward from the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, dry and cooler air from the Desert Southwest will shift eastward," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
These opposite air masses colliding together will provide the necessary fuel for widespread thunderstorm development. Factoring in very strong winds high up in the atmosphere, and you have a recipe for potent thunderstorms that can turn damaging.
Prior to the storm's slow crawl from the Southwest to the middle of the nation, a stalled front will be the focal point for rounds of flooding downpours and localized severe weather over portions of the Plains to the Ohio Valley into late week.
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But forecasters say a much broader and more populous area could be at risk for dangerous weather from Friday through Sunday, with over 20 million Americans in the threat zone, including the bigger cities of Oklahoma City, Dallas and Little Rock, Arkansas.
People in these and surrounding communities should begin thinking ahead about possible disruptions to travel or outdoor plans during the Friday to Sunday time frame, as well as preparations that can be made in advance of any severe weather. This includes securing loose items outdoors and enabling severe weather alerts on mobile devices, among other essential safety tips.
The first wave of severe storms will be centered over portions of West Texas and Oklahoma late in the day on Friday and heading into the overnight hours.
During Saturday, a new round of hard-hitting storms is likely to develop in West Texas and then sweep eastward through the remainder of the weekend, reaching the lower Mississippi Valley later Sunday.
For the first half of the weekend, storms are likely to fire up in northwestern Texas around midday on Saturday and continue to push eastward through northern Texas and the western half of Oklahoma.
"At this time, all facets of severe weather are possible, ranging from flash flooding and hail to strong straight-line wind gusts and even a few tornadoes," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
The threat for tornadoes, at this time, looks to be slightly higher on Saturday and Saturday night.
"While a major tornado outbreak does not appear likely at this time, as we have seen with isolated incidents this past winter in the Southeast states, all it takes is one lone storm to pose great risk to lives and property," Sosnowski said.
On Sunday, the threat for severe weather is likely to shift eastward, to include eastern Oklahoma and Texas all the way to the Mississippi River. The primary severe weather threats on Sunday are likely to be heavy, drenching downpours and damaging winds.
"Powerful wind gusts in lieu of tornadoes and large hail can inflict a great deal of damage in some cases," Sosnowski added.
Travel along stretches of interstates 20, 30, 35 and 40 could be severely impeded at times as the storms sweep through, with drivers likely to experience sudden reductions in visibility and ponding of water on the roadways. Downed trees and power lines could block secondary roadways, and some communities could be left without power in the wake of the storms.
A tornado tore through a Birmingham, Alabama, suburb during the night of Jan. 25-26, killing one person and injuring several others. A few weeks later, a single tornado struck in eastern North Carolina and took the lives of three people.
Farther north of the severe weather threats, even more heavy rainfall is expected from this slow-moving storm.
Persistent rounds of rain will continue across the central and southern Plains through the end of the week and the weekend. From eastern Kansas through southern Missouri, it is possible that more than four inches of rain could fall across the region in just a few days.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 11 inches is possible in this corridor, should persistent downpours impact the same community.
Even though March has been rather dry, some of the same areas were inundated by heavy rain at the end of February. Therefore, the rain is not needed.
With some rivers already running above flood stage in this corridor, the additional runoff could prolong the time it takes for water levels to recede, and perhaps trigger new river flooding elsewhere.
Even in the absence of river flooding, motorists across portions of interstates 35, 44 and 70 could experience slowdowns due the downpours.
Drier air sweeping in behind the storm by early next week will promote much calmer weather in the immediate wake of the storms for any necessary cleanup operations that may need to take place.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
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News / Severe Weather
Severe weather dangers to ramp up for millions this weekend
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Mar 12, 2021 9:16 AM EDT
Confidence is growing among AccuWeather meteorologists that one of the more threatening severe thunderstorm events thus far this year could unfold across the south-central United States this weekend, bringing the whole gamut of hazardous weather.
"This could be the best setup for severe weather out of all the storms [thus far this year]," AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok said.
In true March fashion, the same storm forecast to dump feet of snow across the Rockies and High Plains will be the catalyst for igniting feisty thunderstorms farther south and east. These weather extremes are typical of strong March storms as winter and spring battle it out.
"As the storm pivots eastward, it will draw warm, moist air northward from the Gulf of Mexico. At the same time, dry and cooler air from the Desert Southwest will shift eastward," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
These opposite air masses colliding together will provide the necessary fuel for widespread thunderstorm development. Factoring in very strong winds high up in the atmosphere, and you have a recipe for potent thunderstorms that can turn damaging.
Prior to the storm's slow crawl from the Southwest to the middle of the nation, a stalled front will be the focal point for rounds of flooding downpours and localized severe weather over portions of the Plains to the Ohio Valley into late week.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
But forecasters say a much broader and more populous area could be at risk for dangerous weather from Friday through Sunday, with over 20 million Americans in the threat zone, including the bigger cities of Oklahoma City, Dallas and Little Rock, Arkansas.
People in these and surrounding communities should begin thinking ahead about possible disruptions to travel or outdoor plans during the Friday to Sunday time frame, as well as preparations that can be made in advance of any severe weather. This includes securing loose items outdoors and enabling severe weather alerts on mobile devices, among other essential safety tips.
The first wave of severe storms will be centered over portions of West Texas and Oklahoma late in the day on Friday and heading into the overnight hours.
During Saturday, a new round of hard-hitting storms is likely to develop in West Texas and then sweep eastward through the remainder of the weekend, reaching the lower Mississippi Valley later Sunday.
For the first half of the weekend, storms are likely to fire up in northwestern Texas around midday on Saturday and continue to push eastward through northern Texas and the western half of Oklahoma.
"At this time, all facets of severe weather are possible, ranging from flash flooding and hail to strong straight-line wind gusts and even a few tornadoes," AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said.
The threat for tornadoes, at this time, looks to be slightly higher on Saturday and Saturday night.
"While a major tornado outbreak does not appear likely at this time, as we have seen with isolated incidents this past winter in the Southeast states, all it takes is one lone storm to pose great risk to lives and property," Sosnowski said.
On Sunday, the threat for severe weather is likely to shift eastward, to include eastern Oklahoma and Texas all the way to the Mississippi River. The primary severe weather threats on Sunday are likely to be heavy, drenching downpours and damaging winds.
"Powerful wind gusts in lieu of tornadoes and large hail can inflict a great deal of damage in some cases," Sosnowski added.
Travel along stretches of interstates 20, 30, 35 and 40 could be severely impeded at times as the storms sweep through, with drivers likely to experience sudden reductions in visibility and ponding of water on the roadways. Downed trees and power lines could block secondary roadways, and some communities could be left without power in the wake of the storms.
A tornado tore through a Birmingham, Alabama, suburb during the night of Jan. 25-26, killing one person and injuring several others. A few weeks later, a single tornado struck in eastern North Carolina and took the lives of three people.
Related:
Farther north of the severe weather threats, even more heavy rainfall is expected from this slow-moving storm.
Persistent rounds of rain will continue across the central and southern Plains through the end of the week and the weekend. From eastern Kansas through southern Missouri, it is possible that more than four inches of rain could fall across the region in just a few days.
An AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 11 inches is possible in this corridor, should persistent downpours impact the same community.
Even though March has been rather dry, some of the same areas were inundated by heavy rain at the end of February. Therefore, the rain is not needed.
With some rivers already running above flood stage in this corridor, the additional runoff could prolong the time it takes for water levels to recede, and perhaps trigger new river flooding elsewhere.
Even in the absence of river flooding, motorists across portions of interstates 35, 44 and 70 could experience slowdowns due the downpours.
Drier air sweeping in behind the storm by early next week will promote much calmer weather in the immediate wake of the storms for any necessary cleanup operations that may need to take place.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo