Southern storms set to make for a thunderous end to 2020
By
Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Dec 31, 2020 8:20 PM EST
After two hurricanes, combined with a global pandemic, devastated one Louisiana town, recovery is underway, bringing with it optimism for the new year.
A dynamic storm system began to deliver snow and ice to parts of the southern Plains with eyes for the Midwest and Northeast will spread a different type of disruptive weather across a significant part of the southern United States into Friday.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms got underway at midweek across Texas, largely producing a heavy rain threat.
"It is possible that a brief fire hose effect develops over eastern Texas and advances eastward across the Deep South with a period of blinding, torrential rain that can lead to flash flooding through Thursday night and into Friday," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
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Thunderstorms are forecast to kick it up a notch on New Year's Eve, and could pack more of a punch in terms of wind.
"The year will end with a bang across a portion of the Gulf Coast states, specifically from the northwestern part of the Gulf coast and northeastern Texas through Louisiana and into Mississippi and Alabama where severe thunderstorms are forecast," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff. "Mother Nature will be creating fireworks of her own as 2021 begins."
Flash flooding will remain a concern, along with damaging wind gusts. It is not out of the question for an isolated tornado or waterspout, especially along the immediate Gulf Coast.
New Year's revelers in Houston and Port Arthur, Texas; Lake Charles and New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, will all need to monitor severe weather bulletins and be prepared to seek shelter as storms approach.
"Folks preoccupied with ringing in the new year should make sure to pay close attention to the weather throughout the evening and into the overnight hours," Duff advised.
The thunderstorm threat will move to the Carolinas and Georgia on the first day of 2021. While the threat of severe weather will be lower and much less widespread than on Thursday night, downpours and wind gusts as high as 60 mph will be possible from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Columbia and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Albany, Georgia.
Thunderstorms may also develop to begin the first weekend of the new year in southeastern Georgia and northern Florida, but severe weather is not expected at this time. However, any thunderstorms can bring briefly heavy rain given the high moisture content of the air.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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News / Severe Weather
Southern storms set to make for a thunderous end to 2020
By Ryan Adamson, AccuWeather meteorologist
Updated Dec 31, 2020 8:20 PM EST
After two hurricanes, combined with a global pandemic, devastated one Louisiana town, recovery is underway, bringing with it optimism for the new year.
A dynamic storm system began to deliver snow and ice to parts of the southern Plains with eyes for the Midwest and Northeast will spread a different type of disruptive weather across a significant part of the southern United States into Friday.
Heavy rain and thunderstorms got underway at midweek across Texas, largely producing a heavy rain threat.
"It is possible that a brief fire hose effect develops over eastern Texas and advances eastward across the Deep South with a period of blinding, torrential rain that can lead to flash flooding through Thursday night and into Friday," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
Thunderstorms are forecast to kick it up a notch on New Year's Eve, and could pack more of a punch in terms of wind.
"The year will end with a bang across a portion of the Gulf Coast states, specifically from the northwestern part of the Gulf coast and northeastern Texas through Louisiana and into Mississippi and Alabama where severe thunderstorms are forecast," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Renee Duff. "Mother Nature will be creating fireworks of her own as 2021 begins."
Flash flooding will remain a concern, along with damaging wind gusts. It is not out of the question for an isolated tornado or waterspout, especially along the immediate Gulf Coast.
New Year's revelers in Houston and Port Arthur, Texas; Lake Charles and New Orleans, Louisiana; Mobile, Alabama; and Pensacola, Florida, will all need to monitor severe weather bulletins and be prepared to seek shelter as storms approach.
"Folks preoccupied with ringing in the new year should make sure to pay close attention to the weather throughout the evening and into the overnight hours," Duff advised.
The thunderstorm threat will move to the Carolinas and Georgia on the first day of 2021. While the threat of severe weather will be lower and much less widespread than on Thursday night, downpours and wind gusts as high as 60 mph will be possible from Fayetteville, North Carolina, to Columbia and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, to Albany, Georgia.
Thunderstorms may also develop to begin the first weekend of the new year in southeastern Georgia and northern Florida, but severe weather is not expected at this time. However, any thunderstorms can bring briefly heavy rain given the high moisture content of the air.
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Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo