Severe Weather Expected Along Gulf Coast

Though the sun has set, the severe weather threat is expected to continue into early Wednesday across the Deep South and Southeast. 

Severe weather continues over the Deep South tonight. Earlier this afternoon, several tornadoes were spotted over southeastern Texas. Louisiana to Alabama will be the hot spot for gusty storms and a few more tornadoes overnight. 

A Tornado Watch currently stretches over southern Mississippi, Alabama into the Florida Panhandle. This includes the cities of Hattiesburg, Miss., Mobile, Ala., Pensacola, Fla.

A cold front is moving over the Lower Mississippi Valley and will be responsible for sparking heavy rainfall and strong to severe storms along the central Gulf Coast tonight. Warm and humid air is being transported east of the front into the southern Mississippi Valley, while cold air is producing wintry precipitation over the central Plains to central Mississippi Valley. The unstable environment to the east and southeast of the front is conducive for powerful thunderstorms that will remain a threat through early tomorrow.

The government’s Storm Prediction Center has highlighted the central Gulf in an expansive Enhanced Risk (a 3 out of 5 on the severe probability scale). The Enhanced Risk includes cities within the latest Tornado Watch (Baton Rouge and New Orleans, La.), as well as Hattiesburg, Miss., Mobile, Ala., and Pensacola, Fla., which are likely to see strong storms creep in overnight and prior to sunrise Wednesday. Threatening weather could also advance a bit further north toward Alexandria, La., Jackson, Miss., and Montgomery, Ala.

Within thunderstorms, heavy rain falling over a short amount of time could induce localized flash flooding. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches are likely, and locally higher amounts are possible. If you approach a flooded roadway, remember “Turn Around, Don’t Drown!”

Follow along with WeatherBug to stay on top of the weather and activate alerts on your mobile phone to receive up-to-date information on weather that could impact you.