Damaging Winds, Hail, Tornadoes Threaten South

The severe weather threat that caused a significant outbreak over the weekend is not quite over - storms could continue to impact the East Coast until early Monday morning.

Take this threat seriously and know ahead of time where your safe shelter is and have multiple ways to receive warnings.

Numerous tornadoes touched down on Friday into early Saturday in the mid-South and Midwest, including several near St. Louis, a damaging tornado in Rolla and one in Hartville, Missouri.

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Storm Damage Recap

Tornadoes touched down near Grace, Mississippi, and Elliott, Mississippi, late Saturday morning along with several others that touched down in northern parts of the state. Early afternoon, a strong to potentially violent tornado began near Kentwood, Louisiana, and quickly moved northeastward into Mississippi near Tylertown and Salem. Several other tornadoes have been confirmed in southern and eastern Mississippi, northern Alabama and Middle and eastern Tennessee.

Classic Setup

The setup that triggered this multi-day severe weather outbreak is familiar for March and the rest of spring, with a sharp southward plunge of the jet stream swinging out of the West toward the central and eastern states.

At the same time, the jet stream energy helps to form a strong low-pressure system along a cold front that draws increasing moisture north from the Gulf.

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That combination of ingredients triggers the formation of numerous thunderstorms, some of which could rotate and produce tornadoes in addition to widespread damaging winds and hail.