00:00So to help break all of this down, the details here, we're now joined by ACUEA chief meteorologist
00:05John Porter. And John, yes, here as we head throughout this afternoon, as we head into
00:09tonight, we will see a little bit of a calm before the storm. But yes, heading into tomorrow,
00:13that's whenever everything is going to change. Yeah, that's right, Damian. And you mentioned
00:17that we have a battleground setting up between burgeoning spring warmth here along the I-10
00:23corridor and much colder weather to the north. And right on that battleground, that's where we're
00:28going to have this new storm system develop and intensify. And this is a dangerous setup here as
00:33we take a look at a severe thunderstorm and tornado risk. And especially concerning is that
00:39the peak of the severe weather risk is going to be from about 4 p.m. Saturday through about 2 a.m.
00:46on Sunday Central Time. So a lot of that time is after dark, Damian. That's right, John. So as we
00:52put this in motion, you can see that the highest potential for that severe weather threat really
00:57kicking off across the Mississippi is going to be during the late afternoon into early evening
01:01hours. And unfortunately for majority of this region, it looks like this could primarily
01:05be a nighttime event, which adds all kinds of different dangers. It does. And here's the first
01:10setup around 6 p.m. on Saturday. Notice there's a few thunderstorms starting to develop out ahead
01:15of a line of storms. And we'll watch those thunderstorms first because they're the ones
01:20that may have a tendency to rotate and produce tornadoes early on. Then it looks like we're
01:26going to be dealing with a line of storms that's going to progress from Arkansas, Louisiana and
01:31race eastward across Mississippi and into Alabama, producing widespread damaging wind gusts of 60 to
01:3780 miles per hour and the risk for tornadoes as well. And as you mentioned, that occurring at
01:43night is a special concern because tornadoes that happen after dark are tragically 2.5 times
01:50more likely to produce fatalities than tornadoes that happen during the day. So there's an elevated
01:55risk level with nighttime tornadoes and we're going to be dealing with that here on Saturday
01:59night into the first part of Sunday morning across multiple parts of the states in the south.
02:04That's right, John. And then as we head into the overnight hours, we'll stop on the clock here at
02:07midnight. This is Saturday night, Sunday morning. You can see that those isolated discrete supercell
02:12thunderstorms on the leading edge are going to start to be absorbed by the main line. So at that
02:17time during the overnight hours, the primary risk is going to shift from a tornado threat to a
02:21damaging wind and flooding threat. That is that's a well said and we're going to be dealing with
02:26still the risk for quick spin ups. Tornadoes can develop quickly and some of those can be intense
02:33even along that line of thunderstorms. So we want people to have the AccuWeather app to download
02:39the AccuWeather app, turn on push notifications so you can stay informed. And it's not only across
02:43the near the Gulf Coast, that risk can also occur up across parts of Tennessee, including Nashville
02:49and even up as far north as Kentucky. With this setup, there's a lot of jet stream energy with
02:53this storm system. It's the same storm system that brought all of that flooding and wind to
02:58the West Coast, including California, heading eastbound. And that's why we're going to have a
03:03variety of impacts here. And we're leaving to see a threat of severe weather, even as we had in a
03:07Sunday morning and a Sunday afternoon there. You can see across the East Coast with that lingering
03:12line of storms as it continues to work its way through. But John, for tomorrow, this is the
03:17primary zone we are going to be watching out for. For some of these areas, this is going to be the
03:20highest severe weather potential that we have seen so far this season. It is. And if you look,
03:26it's a multi-state area here with this risk. Of course, the greatest risk across parts of southeast
03:32Arkansas, northeastern parishes of Louisiana through Mississippi and up into Tennessee
03:37and Alabama as well. But anywhere where you see some risk, if you live in these areas or you have
03:43friends or family that live in that area, give them a call. Let them know about that risk,
03:48because that's a great way to keep people informed. Download the AccuWeather app and
03:52turn on push notifications. That's right, John. As we look at the threat levels that we're going
03:56to be tracking as far as the impacts, yes, flash flooding, damaging winds, some hail possible. But
04:00yes, there is going to be the highest tornado threat of the season for some of these areas.
04:05And occurring at night as we're talking about in these major cities and also lots of rural
04:10communities here. Also, please be especially aware if you live in a mobile home that you may
04:15need extra time to get out. And so if when a tornado watch is issued in your area or certainly
04:21warnings, be ready to make that move to safe shelter. That's right, John. So now as we head
04:26into this time of year, it is time for the Dixie Alley region to start to pay attention for their
04:33severe weather outlooks to clean out those storm shelters today and get ready for the potential
04:37of severe weather starting tomorrow. That's correct. And a little bit of preparation always
04:41goes a long way. And we're also going to be dealing with don't let your guard down on the
04:45flash flooding risk here to heavy rain over the same areas. This can produce life threatening
04:51flash flooding as well across parts of the Ohio and Tennessee Valley. Some of the same areas at
04:56risk for severe weather. Watch for and avoid rapidly rising water, especially if you're
05:01driving. Don't ever drive in areas where water covers the road. So many fatalities unnecessarily
05:07happen in that kind of situation. If you encounter water at all, please turn around and find an
05:11alternate route. Flash flooding a big concern as well. That's right. Kentucky is going to see a lot
05:16of water here as we head throughout the day tomorrow. So, yes, this is a perfect opportunity
05:20if you haven't done so yet to download our free AccuWeather app. That's great and a great way to
05:25stay informed. You can track your community and also places where your friends or family are
05:29located. And all of these tools are here to help you to be better informed and stay safer. That's
05:36what we do here at AccuWeather. But just want to remind everyone, let your friends and family know
05:41in these areas. People live busy lives and sometimes just simply letting them know that
05:44there's a severe weather risk can be so helpful for them to be best prepared. All right. Thank
05:49you so much. AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist John Porter. We'll check in with you coming up. Thanks.
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