CNN
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Early winter gusts met record fall warmth, triggering a powerful and severe storm system in the South, creating the largest tornado threat the United States has experienced in more than five months.
A tornado was reported in Texas on Friday afternoon, with damage confirmed west of Paris and near Sulfur Springs in the northeastern part of the state.
As the system moves eastward, parts of Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma and Texas have tornado warnings in place from Friday night through midnight. Valid until 8pm local time in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas.
“Several tornadoes are possible in southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas,” the Storm Prediction Center warned in Friday’s severe weather outlook, adding, “One strong tornado could hit late afternoon and early evening. There could be two,” he added.
The Storm Prediction Center highlighted areas of “medium risk” – Level 4 of 5 – for severe thunderstorms on Friday in eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, southwest Arkansas and northwest Louisiana.
The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area remains at 3 out of 4 risk on Friday.
“Areas most likely to generate strong tornadoes [EF2 or higher] “From southeastern Oklahoma to eastern Texas, east of Interstate 35,” said the Prediction Center.
The 8:00 p.m. tornado warning covers 12 million people and includes north-central and northeast Texas, east and south Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas. These include Dallas, Waco, and Tyler in Texas, Tulsa in Oklahoma, and Fort Smith and Fayetteville in Arkansas.
Monitoring in effect until midnight includes parts of western and central Arkansas, northwest Louisiana, southeastern Oklahoma, and eastern and northeastern Texas, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
According to the Storm Prediction Center, in addition to violent tornadoes, there is also the potential for scattered large to very large hailstones over the size of a golf ball (2 inches in diameter).
The main threat will turn from tornadoes Friday afternoon and evening to destructive winds as thunderstorms align and enter the nighttime hours that span Arkansas and Louisiana.
A significant wind event causing widespread damage is forecast for parts of the Arc-La-Tex region late Friday night as the storm pushes eastward. As such, the Prediction Center has upgraded its threat level for Friday.
“The storm will continue late into the night and will reach much of Louisiana and Arkansas, as well as western Mississippi.
This storm system moves rapidly from west to east, minimizing the potential for flash flooding across the Ark Latex region. Further north, large areas from Kansas to Wisconsin will see 1 to 4 inches of rain through Saturday.
Rainfall is much needed in the region as recent droughts have pushed the Mississippi River to record low levels, impacting shipping and supply chains.
In total, 42 million people from Texas to Wisconsin are at risk of severe storms on Friday. At-risk areas also include Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Kansas City, and Wichita.
Last time risk increased for Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area That was May 24th.
Tornadoes in the United States can occur in any month of the year, but are most common in the spring due to the collision of cold and hot air that accompanies the changing seasons. Similar temperature changes occur in autumn. As such, we often see a second “hard season” later in the year.
According to the New Orleans National Weather Service, “Spring is the busiest time of year weather-wise, but we’re seeing a secondary increase in tornado activity in November.
Texas had the most average number of tornadoes in November (7), followed by Alabama (6), Louisiana (5), and Mississippi (5).
The time of day a tornado occurs makes a big difference in mortality. Tornadoes at night are more dangerous because many people are asleep and unaware that they need to find a safe place. The greater tornado threat for this particular event exists during the day, but there is still the possibility of some spinning storms during the evening hours.
Before bad weather strikes, prepare a severe weather safety plan. Know where to go if bad weather hits, and make sure your flashlight works and your phone is fully charged in case of a power outage.
According to the New Orleans Weather Service, “One of the most important features of a severe weather safety plan is having a reliable means of receiving severe weather warnings.”
