Fall Severe Weather Season Starts with Thunderstorms Pounding Through Southern Plains

As the fall severe weather season continues, a new storm system pounding into the southern Plains will pose a threat of extremely damaging thunderstorms and heavy rainfall starting on Thursday.

The early-week storm system that produced an EF-1 tornado in Jarrell, Texas, on Monday night was followed by this latest round of stormy weather. Just outside the city on Interstate 35, law enforcement reported that tractor-trailers were overturned and vehicles were found in a ditch. The Jarrell Fire Station also had its doors and windows blown out and its roof damaged. Homes in Jarrell had also sustained damage.

Due to the clash between the warm and humid air from the Gulf of Mexico and the colder air that is starting to invade the US from Canada as winter draws near, fall is frequently referred to as the second severe weather season.

A rapidly developing low-pressure system over the southern Plains will bring heavy rainfall and a severe weather threat across the Deep South. Tropical activity increases across the Atlantic. Meteorologist @EricalopezWX has your Tuesday forecast.https://t.co/pYROqHz05F pic.twitter.com/9sVe9W5JTc
— MyRadar Weather (@MyRadarWX) October 25, 2022

This system's potential for widespread severe thunderstorms is not anticipated by the FOX Forecast Center, but a few storms with more strength could rumble throughout the southern Plains on Thursday and Friday.

Britta Merwin, a meteorologist from FOX Weather, said that there is a significant dip in the jet stream, which indicates some stormy weather will be present below.

Severe Thunderstorms Thursday and Friday

Isolated severe thunderstorms, will now be possible from southwestern Texas, and the Texas Hill Country eastward into southwestern Oklahoma on Thursday as the low-pressure system and its accompanying cold front sweep into the southern Plains. The Texas cities of Amarillo, Abilene, and San Angelo are included in this.

According to Weather Station Advisor, when less than about 20% of the forecast area is predicted to experience storm activity, isolated severe thunderstorms are likely to occur.

Threats from these storms include the potential for tornadoes, strong wind gusts, and large hail.

On Friday, the low-pressure system will keep moving east, increasing the possibility of a few isolated severe thunderstorms in southeastern Texas as well as southwestern Louisiana. Houston, College Station, and Beaumont in Texas are included in the area covered.

The storms that are the most powerful can produce damaging wind gusts, large hail, and one or more tornadoes.

Add Flash Floods Before the Week Ends

Prevalent heavy rainfall is anticipated to develop throughout the southern Plains as well as the lower Mississippi Valley on Friday as the storm system will be more organized.

On Friday morning, the heavy rain will start in West Texas. By Friday evening, it will have moved north and east into East Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana. In many of these areas, 1 to 2 inches of rain are anticipated to fall.

While the rain will help many communities suffering from dry seasons and drought, flash flooding might be an issue if excessive amounts of rainfall in a short amount of time.

USGS explains that, any type of rain will help with the drought. A single rainstorm might bring about temporary relief, but it won't end the drought.

A light to moderate rain shower will likely only have a temporary, cosmetic-relieving effect. The majority of the rain from thunderstorms will run off into drainage systems and streams instead of soaking into the ground because they frequently produce significant amounts of rainfall in a short period of time.

The best way to end a drought is with soaking rains. Infiltration of water into the soil replenishes groundwater, which in turn maintains vegetation and supplies streams during dry spells. A single bout of soaking rain will relieve drought conditions, but it may take several such rains spread out over several months to end the drought and bring conditions back into the normal range.

This system and its accompanying cold front will move eastward into the South and Midwest this weekend, bringing another round of intense rainfall to those regions and possibly preventing some early Halloween celebrations after soaking the southern Plains as well as the lower Mississippi Valley, FOX Weather reports.