Severe Weather Possible the Rest of Today Through Sunday

I hope everyone had a great Christmas! I apologize for not sending out a travel weather update, it completely slipped my mind.

A significant severe weather threat is unfolding across the southeastern United States from Friday, December 27, through Sunday, December 29, 2024. Here's a summary of the severe weather risk:

Friday, December 27

A Marginal Risk of severe thunderstorms exists this afternoon and evening from southeast Louisiana and Mississippi into southwest Alabama and the western Florida Panhandle. The main threats include:

- Locally gusty winds

- Brief tornadoes

The overall threat is marginal due to slow air mass recovery (lack of warm, unstable air) and widespread cloud cover limiting destabilization, although there have been two confirmed tornadoes in the Mobile, AL area.

Saturday, December 28

The severe weather risk significantly escalates, with an Enhanced Risk of severe thunderstorms from portions of East Texas across the Lower Mississippi Valley into the Tennessee Valley. This regional outbreak may include:

- Large hail

- Damaging winds

- Strong tornadoes

Key points for Saturday:

- Severe weather timing will be from the afternoon through Sunday morning

- Development of numerous strong to severe storms from East Texas to the Tennessee Valley

- Potential for supercells (tornado producing storms) and linearly organized bowing segments (strong to very strong winds)

Sunday, December 29

A Slight Risk of severe thunderstorms is forecast for parts of the Southeast and the Carolinas. The severe weather threat includes:

- Damaging wind gusts

- A couple of tornadoes

Notable factors for Sunday:

- Severe weather timing will be from the morning through the afternoon

- Ongoing storms early morning across parts of Alabama or western Georgia

- Gradual reintensification of convection through early afternoon

The severe weather risk is expected to diminish Sunday evening as buoyancy weakens.

For the rest of the week:

-Clear weather through Friday except for some showers in eastern Tennessee on Tuesday

-Below normal temps, possibly extending into the second week of January

That's it for today. For the last three updates there was only one notable severe weather report, a tornado in southeast Alabama on December 9th.

Happy New Year and stay safe!

Chris