A Tornado Watch has been issued to our west for eastern Louisiana, far southeastern Arkansas, and western Mississippi until 10:00 p.m. CDT. This watch covers areas where supercell thunderstorms are expected to develop in the next couple of hours, posing a risk for tornadoes, some strong, large hail up to two inches in diameter, and damaging winds up to 70 mph. Recent satellite and radar analysis confirms that storms are beginning to develop along a convergence zone in Louisiana, with increasing instability and a strengthening low-level jet contributing to a highly favorable tornado environment as the evening progresses.
To the northwest, another tornado watch covers much of Missouri, western Illinois, and northern Arkansas. There are numerous severe thunderstorm warnings and one tornado warning right now across the Show Me state of Missouri. Further north, there are numerous warnings in a severe thunderstorm watch in eastern Nebraska and Iowa.
Round one – overnight severe weather threat. Storms will begin moving into West Alabama after 11:00 p.m. and continue through approximately 8:00 a.m. Saturday. SPC has outlined an enhanced risk, level three of five, for much of West Alabama, with a slight risk, level two of five, extending as far east as Scottsboro, Prattville, and Jackson. A tiny corner of Northwest Alabama is in the Moderate Risk for overnight (Level 4 out of 5). This round of storms will likely be scattered in nature, but where they do form, they will be capable of producing large hail, damaging winds, and isolated tornadoes. The highest tornado threat overnight will be west of I-65, while areas farther east may remain more stable until later in the day Saturday…