By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist
April 10,2014; 9:35PM,EDT
There is the potential for severe thunderstorms to erupt over a portion of the South Central states on Sunday as warmth and chill collide.
Warm air will surge northeastward Sunday and Monday over the eastern third of the nation, while a chilly air mass pushes southward across the Plains.
While the pattern will bring some of the warmest weather since early last October to parts of the Northeast and an April snowstorm to Denver and vicinity, it is also likely to ignite robust thunderstorms from portions of central and northeastern Texas to parts of Louisiana, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Missouri.
Travel along portions of I-20, I-35, I-30 and I-40 could be impact by the storms. Cities that could be hit with some of the storms include Dallas; Little Rock, Ark.; Shreveport, La.; and Springfield, Mo.
At this early stage, the potential impacts of the storms cover the full spectrum of severe weather, ranging from damaging wind gusts and large hail to flash flooding, frequent lightning strikes and a few tornadoes.
More will be known on the precise nature, timing and areal coverage of the storms over the next couple of days. However, the most likely time for damaging storms is from the mid-afternoon Sunday into the first part of Sunday night.
What typically happens in a situation like this is spotty storms ignite ahead of an advancing cold front during the afternoon hours. These storms bring a higher risk for isolated tornadoes as they mature into severe thunderstorms. During the evening, the storms tend to grow together, move along at a brisk pace and form what is known as a squall line, or perhaps a dangerous cluster of storms, known as a mesoscale convective system (MCS).
RELATED:
Chief Meteorologist Elliot Abrams Discusses Severe Weather Awareness
Severe Weather Center Watches and Warnings
Little Rock, Ark. Interactive Radar
Both systems can bring sudden shifting and damaging winds, while an MCS can bring both damaging wind gusts and flooding rainfall. A squall line can bring brief blinding rain.
The storms have the potential to spoil a Sunday stroll or picnic and cause travel delays for those heading home from weekend adventures.
Sunday, storms and a few other batches of severe weather are occurring in a zone expected to be the prime area for severe weather during April.
Prior to the severe weather risk on Sunday, a few of areas can be affected by locally gusty, drenching thunderstorms with hail.
A few storms from northern Arkansas and southern Missouri to the Delmarva Peninsula can be locally heavy and gusty during Friday.
On Saturday, there is a chance of locally gusty thunderstorms around Nebraska, Iowa, eastern Kansas and northern Missouri.
People can keep track of forecast adjustments on the severe weather by checking back on AccuWeather.com or with mobile Apps.
On Social Media
No comments:
Post a Comment