AccuWeather
Millions of Americans will face severe weather risk by Tuesday
The first week of May starts quite actively on the storm front. Hundreds of millions of Americans in the eastern half of the country are at risk of dangerous thunderstorms. The thunderstorm hazards through Tuesday followed a Mississippi tornado outbreak to end the weekend, including a major night tornado that struck the city of Tupelo. Heavy storms with hail, noxious winds and some tornadoes were also reported in Colorado's Front Range and in the Central Plains on Sunday. Violent thunderstorms continued until Monday evening. Tornadoes have been reported in northern Georgia, including one near Atlanta as well as South Carolina, Illinois and Texas. Hail the size of a golf ball fell near San Antonio, Texas. Experts say another round of dangerous weather will break out on Tuesday. CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP. Very humid air expanding north through the Gulf States collides with a storm moving along a front line from east Texas to the Ohio Valley. This will lead to an outbreak of thunderstorms that are likely to last through Tuesday evening, according to Brett Anderson, senior meteorologist at AccuWeather. The thunderstorms are expected to hit cities like Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Jackson, Mississippi; Nashville; Birmingham and Montgomery, Alabama; Atlanta; and possibly more northerly areas such as Louisville, Kentucky; Charleston, West Virginia; and Pittsburgh. Tupelo and other Mississippi cities that were devastated by the tornadoes on Sunday are right in the middle of the threat zone. Storm hazards include hail, floods, tornadoes and noxious, straight-line gusts of wind with an AccuWeather Local StormMax ™ at 80 miles per hour, according to AccuWeather meteorologist Nicole LoBiondo. Even outside of the areas that AccuWeather forecasters are focusing on for more concentrated severe weather risks, any thunderstorm in Central and East states could get severe and gusty locally earlier this week. AccuWeather forecasters are urging residents to ensure they can receive severe weather warnings before bed, as the risk of severe weather is likely to remain even after dark. “There will be flash flood pockets too, especially in lower and poorly drained areas, but luckily the storms will advance with a decent clip, which will limit the duration of intense rains in most areas,” said Anderson. Areas in the south that were very wet in April are hardest hit by flash floods. Those with travel plans on the road and in the air in the Central, East, and South states can expect a slowdown amid the stormy pattern. Even without flooding problems, the pouring rains within the storms can lead to problems for motorists in the form of a reduced view of the interstates and an increased risk of aquaplaning. There may be a localized risk of storms along the mid-Atlantic and south-eastern coasts until the middle of the week before the front sweeps off the coast. Pressure of cooler air in the Midwest, Northeast and even part of the South will help suppress severe thunderstorm activity, at least temporarily, later this week. Check back often at AccuWeather.com and keep up to date with DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo and Verizon Fios on the AccuWeather network.