Sunday’s severe weather danger to focus from Ohio to Texas

By Kristina Pydynowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist

May 27,2017, 3:36:32PM,EDT

 

 

On the heels of Saturday's outbreak, the risk of damaging thunderstorms will continue through the Memorial Day weekend with communities from Ohio to Texas being threatened on Sunday.
The severe weather danger on Sunday will not be as high when compared to Saturday’s outbreak, but thunderstorms capable of causing damage and endangering residents and holiday visitors will still erupt.
The area at greatest risk stretches from Indiana and Ohio to eastern Arkansas and central Texas. This includes Cincinnati, Ohio; Lexington and Louisville, Kentucky; Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee; Jonesboro, Arkansas; Shreveport, Louisiana; and San Antonio and Austin, Texas.
A severe thunderstorm may also endanger the races and more than 300,000 fans headed to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway for the 101st running of the Indianapolis 500.

Locally heavy and severe thunderstorms may also erupt over the Carolinas on Sunday.
Saturday’s violent outbreak will fizzle by daybreak Sunday, leading to a lull in the severe weather for Sunday morning. However, daytime heating will set the stage for more thunderstorms to ignite in the afternoon.
“The afternoon barbecue might get postponed a little bit as thunderstorms redevelop,” AccuWeather Storm Warning Meteorologist Richard Schraeger said.
“The primary concern with these redeveloping storms will be damaging winds, large hail, local flash flooding and a few isolated tornadoes.”
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Sunday’s severe weather is not expected to produce a widespread swath of damaging winds or the destructive hail that residents in the central U.S. are bracing for on Saturday.
However, it only takes one damaging thunderstorm or tornado to devastate a family or community.
Some communities where violent thunderstorms may leave a trail of damage on Saturday night will face another severe thunderstorm on Sunday, which could delay cleanup efforts and cause more damage. Debris could get tossed around and become flying projectiles by strong wind gusts.
Schraeger expects Sunday’s severe weather threat to diminish by the early morning hours of Monday.
An unsettled Memorial Day will then follow from the Eastern Seaboard to the central and western Gulf Coast. The severe weather threat will continue to lessen from its peak on Saturday, but an isolated risk will still be present.

“Thunderstorms will bubble across portions of the Southeast by the early to mid-afternoon hours on Monday,” Schraeger said.
“The storms will remain fairly isolated in nature, but the strongest will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, large hail and local flash flooding.”
More of the thunderstorms will prove disruptive to picnics, parades and other outdoor holiday festivities.
Regardless of a thunderstorm’s severity, the risk of being struck by lightning is present as soon as thunder is heard. Residents should monitor AccuWeather MinuteCast® and prepare to seek shelter for a time.
Remember that a pavilion is not a safe place to be during a thunderstorm. Moving inside a vehicle would be a better option.
“The threat for tornadoes across this region will be fairly low on Monday,” Schraeger said. “But, a few weak and isolated tornadoes are possible during the early to mid-afternoon.”
As the sun sets on the holiday weekend, any severe thunderstorms will also begin to fizzle.