UNITED STATES — A rapidly organizing quasi-linear convective system (QLCS) is taking shape across Texas and Louisiana, bringing an increasing risk of embedded tornadoes and damaging wind gusts from the Houston metro northward through East Texas and into western Louisiana. At the same time, parts of Southwest Oklahoma are seeing smaller storms develop with the potential for cold air funnels.
Radar imagery shows a well-defined squall line stretching from near Victoria and Corpus Christi north through San Antonio, Austin, Bryan, Lufkin, Tyler and into Shreveport, with heavy rainfall extending north toward Texarkana, Mena and Little Rock.
QLCS Strengthening from the Gulf Coast to East Texas
The main concern is the strengthening QLCS — a solid line of thunderstorms capable of producing both widespread damaging winds and isolated tornadoes. Instability is building out ahead of the line, and atmospheric conditions both in front of and even behind the boundary are becoming supportive of storm organization.
A ramping up low-level jet is enhancing wind shear across the region. This setup creates a more favorable environment for:
- Embedded areas of rotation within the line
- Brief tornado spin-ups
- Strong, damaging straight-line wind gusts
The most intense segment currently appears from Victoria and Houston northward through Lufkin toward Shreveport, where radar shows bowing segments and embedded cores.
Houston and Southeast Texas in the Primary Risk Zone
A broad swath of Southeast Texas — including Houston, Beaumont and coastal counties along the upper Texas Gulf Coast — is under heightened concern. The red-shaded area extends eastward into western Louisiana, including Shreveport, Monroe and Alexandria…