More Severe Weather to Impact the South This Week

Posted: January 16, 2023 11:04 am

Snow Will Fall on Northern Side of Storm System

Less than one week after a deadly tornado outbreak across the South, forecasters are warning residents in this part of the country that there is another severe weather event gearing up for the upcoming week. The area at risk is the same general region that experienced last week’s outbreak. Here is everything that you need to know heading into the new week.

More Severe Weather in Store for the South

Much of the southern U.S. is still cleaning up from a wild week of weather. According to the National Weather Service (NWS) Storm Prediction Center (SPC), there were 50 preliminary tornado reports from the outbreak that killed at least nine people. In addition, the SPC fielded more than 200 damaging wind reports stemming from the outbreak on Thursday, January 12.

While this upcoming week should enjoy a calm start, more severe weather is forecast to fire up by late Monday and early Tuesday. The storm system will move from the Mississippi Valley to the east, impacting the same area that bore last week’s wrath of stormy conditions.

At this time, forecasters are hopeful that this upcoming weather maker will not have the energy needed to equal last Thursday’s devastation. However, heavy downpours and gusty winds are on tap for the battered region.

Mid-Week Storm Forecast to be Stronger

A second storm system is predicted to come out of California and the Desert Southwest by the middle of the week. This system is predicted to move farther to the south than the early week storm. This movement will translate to stronger impacts as the system will be able to bring in additional moisture from the Gulf of Mexico. The warm and moist air will give fuel to developing thunderstorms.

While most people do not associate January with severe weather, the South has been experiencing temperatures that are running about 7 – 15 degrees above average for this time of the year. This unseasonable warmth makes it more likely that storms find the energy that they need to ignite.

Unlike the early week system that will likely be limited to heavy rain and windy conditions, the mid-week line of storms could bring more severe impacts. This includes damaging winds, hail, and tornadoes. The most likely zone of impact is an area stretching from eastern Texas through the lower Mississippi Valley. This impact area could put major metropolitan areas such as Dallas, Little Rock, Houston, and New Orleans in the line of fire.

Flooding downpours will also be a possibility with this mid-week system. Many of these areas are still dealing with overly saturated grounds that may not be able to take on additional moisture without triggering flooding concerns. This includes a large portion of the Tennessee and Ohio valleys.

Regardless of if the moisture leads to flooding, the heavy rain is likely to complicate travel on roadways.

Snow for the Northern Edge of the System

On the northern side of this system, you can expect to find snow and wintry precipitation developing across the Rocky Mountain region, the central Plains, the Great Lakes, and the interior Northeast. The snow will first threaten parts of Kansas and Nebraska on Wednesday before moving into the Great Lakes.

You can expect a few inches in an area stretching from the Rockies, across the central Plains, and into the Great Lakes. The heaviest snow will hit a swath of land from Denver through the northwest edge of Kansas and into Des Moines, southern Wisconsin, and central Michigan.

Be sure to check in with your local forecast as this weather continues to unfold.

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