As US Recovers, Another Tornado Outbreak Possible This Week

With parts of the U.S. still recovering from a destructive and deadly three-day tornado outbreak, a storm system moving from the Rockies to the East Coast may very well spawn another round of tornadoes this week, especially from the Midwest to parts of the Deep South.

There were nearly 270 reported tornadoes last week, with the death toll reaching at least 44 in six states. At least 21 of those deaths were in North Carolina, according to The Associated Press. The first tornadoes hit Thursday in Oklahoma, where two were killed. Officials also reported seven deaths in Arkansas, seven in Alabama, six in Virginia and one in Mississippi.

The new storm will also produce more late-season snow and flooding as the very stormy April continues across the United States.

The greatest threat for thunderstorms capable of producing wind damage, large hail and tornadoes will be from the Ohio Valley southwestward to the Arkansas-Oklahoma-Texas region from Tuesday into early Wednesday, according to the Storm Prediction Center.


(Image courtesy of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)

In this region, a north-to-south temperature contrast, an abundance of moisture and favorable upper-level conditions will peak during the afternoon and evening hours. The tornado threat will continue until after dark, the most dangerous time for tornadoes since they're not easily seen in advance and some residents are sleeping and, therefore, do not hear warnings.

Before the storm moves into the region of greatest concern, locally dangerous thunderstorms will occur farther west -- in the Plains and Missouri Valley -- from today into Tuesday. Locally strong storms will spread into the area from the Northeast into the Carolinas on Wednesday, but severe thunderstorms are expected to be less numerous in Virginia and the Carolinas, the region where over 100 tornadoes were reported on Saturday and Saturday night.

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The snow associated with the storm will begin today, with heavy snow -- locally approaching 18 inches -- falling in the mountains of Montana from this afternoon into Tuesday. Accumulating snow will spread through parts of the northern Plains into the upper Midwest on Tuesday and Wednesday. Several inches -- locally over 6 -- of heavy, wet snow will accumulate on unpaved surfaces.

Winter storm watches and warnings extend from Montana to northern and central Wisconsin. With last week's storm, arts of the northern and central Plains reported blizzard conditions on Thursday night into Friday.

Flooding along rivers and streams is also a concern with the wide-ranging storm system. Many rivers and streams are near or above flood state in the Plains, Midwest, Mississippi Valley, Northeast and mid-Atlantic regions from recent heavy rain, and additional rainfall will add to existing flooding problems. The heaviest rainfall will likely occur in the Midwest and Ohio Valley.

This week's storm system will be the fourth large-scale storm to produce dangerous thunderstorms and tornadoes during April so far. There have been 371 preliminary reports of tornadoes across the United States, compared with a three-year average of 185 through this date. For the year to date, there have been 563 preliminary reports of tornadoes.

Another long-tracking storm system is likely from the Plains to the East Coast late in the week and into the weekend.