Severe Thunderstorms Rumble Over Parts of the Plains

The Central and Southern Plains will remain at risk for severe thunderstorms tonight.as a disturbance slowly moves eastward from New Mexico and runs into a very warm and humid airmass. Strong wind gusts and very large hail will be the primary threat with these severe thunderstorms, with smaller but present chances for tornadoes.

The government’s Storm Prediction Center has a Slight Risk area (a 2 out of 5 on the SPC's thunderstorm outlook severity scale) for a large portion of the Central and Southern Plains including almost all of central and northern Texas, the western half of Oklahoma, southwestern Kansas, southeastern Colorado, and extreme northeastern New Mexico. This risk area includes the cities of Dallas, Fort Worth, Arlington and Houston in Texas. Inside this area, there is a small Enhanced Risk area (a 3 out of 5 on the SPC's thunderstorm outlook severity scale) across northern and northwestern Texas with elevated chances of large hail and possible tornadoes, which includes the cities of Lubbock and Abilene.  

A large swath of the Plains and Texas surrounding the Slight Risk area is in a Marginal Risk area for severe thunderstorms. The Marginal Risk area extends from southwestern Minnesota southward into southeastern South Dakota, almost all of Nebraska, eastern areas of Colorado and New Mexico, the rest of Kansas, Oklahoma and Texas not in the Slight Risk Area and a portion of Louisiana. This Marginal Risk area contains the cities of San Antonio, Texas, Omaha, Neb., Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Okla., and Pueblo, Colo.

A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for portions of northwest Louisiana and northeast Texas, including Shreveport, La. Another Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for portions of southwest Louisiana and southeast Texas, including Fort Polk, La. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for portions of eastern Louisiana and southwest Mississippi, including Baton Rouge, La. 

The upper-level disturbance mentioned above will interact with the dryline, a boundary that separates an airmass with origins from the warm and humid Gulf of Mexico to its east with a dry, desert-like airmass to its west and will be the focal point for thunderstorm formation. Very strong wind gusts and hail, some of which could be over 2 inches in diameter, will both be major problems from this stormy weather. 

Make sure to frequently check WeatherBug for updates, as a watch can quickly turn into a warning upon imminent danger. It is important to stay prepared for active weather. Make sure you know the difference between a watch and a warning should they become issued. A watch means that conditions are favorable for severe weather to take place, whereas a warning means severe weather is imminent and you need to act fast to prevent damage to property or even loss of life. Remember, “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!”