Severe thunderstorms are likely in parts of the South through this weekend, during the busy holiday travel season. This may include tornadoes, damaging straight-line winds, large hail and heavy rainfall.
This comes right on the heels of multiple tornadoes that struck Texas and Louisiana on Thursday; a reminder that tornadoes can strike during any season.
Happening Now
The map below shows where thunderstorms are right now, and also where the National Weather Service has issued severe weather watches and warnings.
Multiple tornadoes have already touched down in southeast Texas, southwest Louisiana and Mississippi.
(MET 101: What Makes A Storm ‘Severe’)
Saturday’s Forecast
In their daily severe weather outlook, NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center (SPC) issued a level 4 out of 5 for severe weather that stretches across portions of Louisiana, Mississippi and western Alabama. This area includes places like Jackson and Hattiesburg, Mississippi.
This is the first time the SPC has issued such a dire level 4 severe risk in their outlook since July 15, and only the 12th time it has issued a level 4 or greater risk this year.
A squall line of severe thunderstorms with damaging straight-line winds and embedded tornadoes will sweep from west to east through Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia into Saturday night.
(SAFETY TIPS: Prepare Like A Met | Not All Tornado Warnings Aren’t The Same)
(For even more granular weather data tracking in your area, view your 15-minute details forecast in our Premium Pro experience.)
Sunday’s Forecast
Severe storms will continue to march eastward on Sunday into much of the Southeast and extending northward into portions of the upper Ohio Valley and Appalachians.
We could see storms already in motion during the early morning hours across portions of eastern Kentucky, eastern Tennessee, the western Carolinas, Georgia and the Florida Panhandle, then continue eastward through the day.
The area with greatest chance of severe weather extends from the Florida panhandle and Georgia into the Carolinas and southern Virginia. This includes Atlanta, Charlotte, Raleigh, Roanoke and Tallahassee.
Straight-line damaging thunderstorm winds are the main concern, though some tornadoes, both embedded in a line of severe storms and in any individual severe thunderstorms that can form ahead of that squall line.
(MORE: Tornado Outbreaks Can Happen In Winter, As Recent History Shows)
Jennifer Gray is a weather and climate writer for weather.com. She has been covering some of the world’s biggest weather and climate stories for the last two decades.
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