Another pre-Christmas tornado outbreak this year?
UPDATE 12/23 1 PM: The SPC has issued a "Particularly Dangerous Situation" Tornado Watch for the red area shown below, saying "A FEW INTENSE TORNADOES LIKELY."
UPDATE 12/23 8 AM:
The SPC has issued a MODERATE RISK, worse than they did last year on this date.
Multiple Tornado Watches and warnings (as far east as Alabama and North Carolina), and a radar-confirmed tornado in Arkansas already this morning on December 23. Unfortunately, this potential tornado outbreak looks worst than expected, so far. Please monitor our Breaking Weather Videos for updates throughout the day.
ORIGINAL BLOG 12/22/15:
One year ago this week, on Dec. 23, 2014, a tornado outbreak hit south and east Mississippi during a severe weather event that spanned across the South. Tomorrow, Dec. 23, 2015, looks very similar, except the tornadoes may be farther to the northeast, and this year's outbreak could be larger.
For continued updates on this severe weather, please see our article "Pre-Christmas severe storm, flood threat to target southern US."
Meanwhile, flooding is happening this morning in Georgia and the Carolinas, where over 4 inches of rain has fallen. Here's a GIF animation (enlarge) from the Columbia, South Carolina, USGS gauge webcam:
