ALERT: 3-Day Severe Weather Tornado Outbreak Possible For Tornado Alley and Surrounding Regions
Image courtesy of George Stojkovic / FreeDigitalPhotos.net
It looks as if the United States’ tornado drought is coming to an end as early as this weekend. A powerful storm system is set to move into the Plains and work its way slowly toward the Mississippi River Valley.
The system is set to spawn a multi-day severe weather outbreak, with tornado-capable thunderstorms, Saturday, Sunday and Monday. If it does happen, the possible outbreak in tornado would increase the 2014 tally that is currently seeing record low numbers and end the stretch without a single tornado-related death.
According to the Storm Prediction Center Chief of Operations Bill Bunting, the ingredients – strong low pressure area in upper atmosphere, significant amount of low-level moisture and winds with various speed and direction – for a large-scale severe weather outbreak will show themselves Saturday in the Plains states.
Another concerning matter is the counter-clockwise circulation that’s going to occur around the surface low, drawing Gulf of Mexico moisture north and the strong winds at 10,000 to 20,000 feet above ground level. These will give the wind shear tornadoes need to form.
Bunting said it’s an extremely powerful upper system with extremely powerful wind shear. He said people in the Plains and Mississippi Valley areas need to be on high alert and watch the weather this weekend. He said although it’s not clear how significant the storm system will be, it is going to be a three-day event.
Saturday’s threat is focused in the Eastern and High Plains area, which affects the following cities:
- Oklahoma City
- Omaha, Neb.
- Wichita, Ks.
- Dallas
On Sunday, the threat moves east and begins to affect cities like St. Louis and Little Rock. On Monday, St. Louis and Little Rock are again affected as well as Memphis, Nashville and Birmingham. New Orleans may also be affected by the storm system.
Bunting said many forecasters are worried that the less than eventful tornado season may have lured some folks to be complacent in this kind of threat. It’s the reason forecasters are spreading the news now about it. He said people may not be thinking like they should since they haven’t had a severe weather outbreak just yet.
Bunting said another concern is that the storms may produce flash flooding along with tornadoes because they won’t be moving very quickly.
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