AccuWeather meteorologists expect April to follow in March’s footsteps as the table is set for another round of severe thunderstorms, including possible tornadoes, across the South next week.
The tornado risk may be accompanied by a heightened flash flood danger. A dip in the jet stream across the center of the country early next week is expected to bring a storm from Southern California into the southern Plains.
“As this feature moves east, it will pull up moisture from the western Gulf of Mexico,” said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok, emphasizing this will help to provide one of the atmospheric ingredients necessary for severe weather early next week.
The initial area of concern for severe weather in the first few days of the week will be focused on portions of Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, and Louisiana. In these areas, when compared to the recent outbreaks, the hazardous weather may be slower to evolve and spread eastward Sunday night into Monday night.
As the storm moves eastward, portions of the Southeast and Gulf Coast could all be at risk for severe thunderstorms during Tuesday and even Wednesday of next week, depending on the exact speed of the storm. Portions of Tennessee, Mississippi, Alabama, Georgia, and the Florida Panhandle could all face volatile weather these days.
“All modes of severe weather could be possible at this point, from flooding downpours and hail to damaging winds and tornadoes,” Pastelok added. Some of the areas that could be threatened by next week’s severe weather have already been hit hard by the destructive thunderstorms and tornadoes so far this spring.
