Category: severe weather

Weather pattern shifts – beneficial rain and unwelcome severe weather chances expected

April 23, 2026

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Erik Proseus

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forecast discussion, severe weather

A dry spring gets a boost from much-needed rainfall, but severe weather may accompany the rain.
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Storms likely Sunday evening – widespread high wind possible

March 14, 2026

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Erik Proseus

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damaging wind, severe thunderstorms, severe weather, tornado, Uncategorized

The next round of severe storms arrives Sunday evening with the potential for widespread damaging wind, and possibly hail or tornadoes.
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Spring severe weather season has begun

March 8, 2026

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Erik Proseus

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damaging wind, severe thunderstorms, severe weather

Following a few severe storms Saturday, additional severe weather is possible on both Monday and Wednesday this week.
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Storm Prediction Center convective outlooks to add intensity potential

March 1, 2026

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Erik Proseus

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severe thunderstorms, severe weather, SPC, tornado

Intensity information is being added to SPC convective weather outlooks this spring. What does that mean and why should I care?
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Severe weather isn’t just a spring phenomenon in the Mid-South

October 14, 2025

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Erik Proseus

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preparation, severe thunderstorms, severe weather

Secondary severe weather season, as fall becomes winter, can catch Mid-Southerners off-guard.
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10 reasons why tornadoes in Dixie Alley are more dangerous than Tornado Alley

March 12, 2025

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Erik Proseus

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dixie alley, severe thunderstorms, severe weather, tornado, tornado warnings

Tornado Alley may be the Hollywood backdrop for tornado action. But Dixie Alley tornadoes are more dangerous than their Plains counterparts.
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Late-season severe weather threat today

December 28, 2024

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Erik Proseus

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flash flood, forecast discussion, severe weather

Severe weather is possible for portions of the Mid-South today. Here are the details.
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Multiple rounds of storms the next several days

May 21, 2024

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Erik Proseus

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forecast discussion, severe weather

After a 3-day short respite from a rainy pattern, we’re headed right back into one that will take us through the rest of the week and also affect at least some of the weekend. We’ll start with the next 24 hours though, which looks to include two likely rounds of showers and storms on Wednesday.…
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Strong to severe storms likely Wednesday night

May 7, 2024

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Erik Proseus

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forecast discussion, severe weather, Uncategorized

Another severe weather event is poised to affect a large area, including the Mid-South, on Wednesday. The area under a heightened risk includes much of the Ohio Valley, mid to lower Mississippi Valley, to as far west as Dallas. Locally, the main threat window is Wednesday night between about 9pm-3am. (The event will not last…
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Details on the severe weather threat for Wednesday

August 8, 2023

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Erik Proseus

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severe thunderstorms, severe weather

As if we needed even more proof that this one of the busiest Mid-South summers for severe weather, yet another threat presents itself on Wednesday. And this one could be muti-pronged. This calendar for June and July shows the severe weather risk level by day for the Mid-South. 35 days in June and July presented…
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Beautiful spring weather may be interrupted by severe weather on Saturday

April 13, 2023

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Erik Proseus

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forecast discussion, severe weather

A cloudy and cool Easter weekend gave way into a pleasant early week for the Memphis Metro. As the weekend approaches, we prepare for our next round of rain and the possibility of severe weather that could disrupt some Saturday evening plans. Thursday A low pressure system is currently sitting over southern Mississippi, this will…
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Return of warmth brings a risk of severe storms, and a few words to close out 2022

December 31, 2022

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Erik Proseus

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commentary, forecast discussion, severe weather

Another year with overall above average temperatures and precipitation is wrapping up, though this month will end up slightly cooler than average, but marked by large temperature swings. It’s also been wet this month with nearly 6 inches of rain. The major cold spell that marked the days leading up to and through the Christmas…
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Severe weather outlook for Friday night

December 9, 2021

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Erik Proseus

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forecast discussion, forecast models, severe thunderstorms, severe weather

The Setup A warm front will move north over us early Friday morning, bringing (even more) warm and humid air into the Mid-South. A slow-moving cold front over the Central Plains will move southeast on Friday, picking up speed and reaching the Mid-South early Saturday. This will lead to the potential for severe thunderstorms late…
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Rain returns Thursday, severe weather possible Saturday

February 20, 2019

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Erik Proseus

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forecast discussion, severe weather

Our rain has finally gone away, but unfortunately it won’t stay that way for very long. Multiple rounds of showers are expected to return starting tomorrow, with some severe thunderstorms being possible on Saturday. Over the past day, most of the Mid-South has seen between 2 to 3 inches of rain. Observed precipitation across the…
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Election Eve severe weather potential

November 4, 2018

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Erik Proseus

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forecast discussion, severe weather

We have officially entered secondary severe weather season. The Halloween storms provided a highly-visible reminder by messing with people’s outdoor plans – some in a big way. Fortunately, though stormy, the damage was limited in the metro. Less than a week later, on the eve of Election Tuesday, we find ourselves in a bit more…
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Severe Weather Awareness 2018: Weather Radio and Mobile Alert Apps

March 2, 2018

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Erik Proseus

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emergency alert system, NOAA weather radio, severe weather, SWAW

Today’s Severe Weather Awareness Week topic covers a couple of ways of receiving warning information – NOAA Weather Radio and mobile alert apps. We have always advocated for having multiple ways to receive warnings, as no one solution is fool-proof or immune from dissemination issues. Weather radio is the voice of the National Weather Service.…
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Severe Weather Awareness 2018: Severe Thunderstorms

March 1, 2018

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Erik Proseus

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safety tips, severe thunderstorms, severe weather, SWAW

There are approximately 2,000 thunderstorms in progress around the world at any given time. Most of these storms are beneficial and bring needed rain. Only a small fraction, less than one percent, are classified as severe. Severe thunderstorms are those thunderstorms that produce hail one inch in diameter or larger or strong wind gusts of…
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Severe Weather Awareness 2018: Tornado Safety

February 28, 2018

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Erik Proseus

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education, safety tips, severe weather, SWAW, tornado

The El Reno, OK EF-3 tornado of May 31, 2013, taken from about one mile away by storm chaser Nick Hellums. Tornadoes are violent columns of rotating air that are produced by severe thunderstorms. Weak tornadoes produce wind of 65-85 mph, while the strongest (such as the Moore, OK tornado of May 2013), produce wind…
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Severe Weather Awareness 2018: Lightning Safety

February 27, 2018

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Erik Proseus

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lightning, severe weather, SWAW

Severe Weather Awareness Week continues with a look at how to stay safe when lightning is nearby. Any lightning safety plan should incorporate the 30/30 rule. The 30/30 rule states people should seek shelter if the flash to bang delay/length of time in seconds between a lightning flash and its subsequent thunder is 30 seconds…
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Severe Weather Awareness 2018: Flooding and Flash Floods

February 26, 2018

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Erik Proseus

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flash flood, flooding, severe weather, SWAW

Floods and flash floods occur every year in the Mid South. River flooding occurs seasonally when winter or spring rains or torrential rains associated with tropical storms fill river basins with too much water too quickly. Flash floods occur suddenly, usually occurring within hours of excessive localized rainfall. These flash floods can become raging torrents…
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