South-Central US faces severe weather, tornadoes this week
People across the south-central United States will need to be on a heightened alert for rounds of severe thunderstorms into the middle of the week.
It will be another active period of severe weather across the South Central states, according to AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Rathbun.
Damaging winds, large hail, frequent lightning and downpours will be the most common characteristics of the storms that develop each day through Wednesday. However, there will be the risk of at least isolated tornadoes most days.
The multi-day risk of storms that can disrupt outdoor plans, slow travel and, even worse, inflict property damage will make it vital for residents and visitors to stay aware of rapidly changing weather conditions.
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Ahead of the storms, loose outdoor items should be secured or stowed away to prevent them from becoming dangerous projectiles in a thunderstorm's winds, and vehicles can be parked in garages or under carports to prevent costly hail damage.
Sunday
Areas of the southern High Plains that were battered with large hail and even a few tornadoes at the start of the weekend will once again be at risk late Sunday afternoon into Sunday evening.
Communities within a corridor from near Dodge City, Kansas, to Guymon, Oklahoma; Amarillo, Lubbock and Midland, Texas; and southward to the Big Bend can be rocked by storms producing large hail, high winds and downpours.
The storms will develop along a line separating very dry air from the Southwest and moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, which is why they are commonly referred to as dry-line thunderstorms.
A separate zone of feisty storms can target the Omaha to Lincoln, Nebraska, area, late Sunday ahead of a press of cooler air.
Monday
Rathbun is concerned that Monday will feature three main zones of severe weather, with some locations at risk for the third consecutive day.
"One piece of energy coming out of Mexico will likely develop a thunderstorm complex that will move across far southern Texas," Rathbun said.
"These features from northern Mexico typically bring the best chance for severe weather to reach the Rio Grande Valley," he added.
Dry-line thunderstorms will again fire from western Texas into western Kansas late Monday afternoon before spreading eastward during the nighttime hours.
"The third region at risk will be from eastern Kansas into Missouri," Rathbun said.
Strong winds and flooding downpours may be the greatest threats in this corridor.
Severe weather dangers to continue as flood threat ramps up Tuesday to Thursday
"The same piece of energy from Mexico on Monday will advance northeastward and bring the threat for severe weather across eastern Texas and western Louisiana on Tuesday, including Houston," Rathbun said.
The southern High Plains will again be a separate hot bed for severe weather this day, with the threat for dangerous storms expanding farther east toward Oklahoma City.
The threat for damaging storms will end across the southern High Plains while spreading eastward through the South Central states at midweek, before reaching portions of the Mississippi and Ohio valleys on Thursday.
While the North Central states will largely be spared from severe storms this week, they will bear the brunt of days of heavy rainfall that can exacerbate ongoing flooding problems.
Motorists with plans to travel in any of the areas at risk for heavy rain and severe weather this week should be prepared to face sudden reductions in visibility from downpours and blowing spray from other vehicles.
Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
