Severe Weather Threat Lingers Across Much of Southern and Eastern U.S.

The severe weather threat will linger in the southern U.S. through the weekend as parts of the region recover from the post-Christmas storm activity. Here is the latest on this developing situation.

Tornado Outbreak Confirmed in Texas and Louisiana

The day after Christmas brought a rash of severe weather to parts of the south-central U.S., including confirmed tornadoes in both Texas and Louisiana. Multiple tornadoes spun up out of the severe weather cells across the Gulf Coast states late Thursday. Officials have confirmed eight reports of tornadoes in the region.

The Houston areas saw two tornadoes with one of them moving over Lake Houston. The weather was so hazardous that Texas Gov. Greg Abbott activated the state's emergency response system in order to respond quickly to the disaster. After hitting the Lone Star State, the severe thunderstorm cells pushed into neighboring Louisiana.

The central and northern parts of this state saw the bulk of activity. Drone footage taken early Friday showed a building likely damaged by a funnel cloud in Sieper, located about 70 miles to the northeast of Lake Charles, Louisiana.

Local officials have not reported any serious injuries or fatalities as a result of the severe weather outbreak.

More Severe Storms Waiting in the Wings

The threat of severe weather will linger through the weekend as multiple rounds of powerful storms stretch from the south-central U.S. and up into the Midwest, the Appalachians, and the Atlantic coastline.

More storms will come to life over the weekend, bringing the possibility of more tornadic activity. The storms will also likely produce high winds and heavy rain that disrupts travel across much of the eastern and southern portions of the country.

The zone of severe weather impacts shifted to the east on Friday, bringing the danger to Mississippi, Alabama, and the Florida Panhandle. While Friday's severe weather was not as potent as the day prior, forecasters are warning that the atmosphere will be primed for more activity on Saturday and Sunday.

A new weather maker is forecast to ignite over Texas on Saturday. This system is forecast to chug to the northeast toward the Great Lakes throughout the weekend, bringing along rainfall that is significant enough to create the risk of flash flooding across urban areas and near small streams.

The unseasonably warm and moisture-rich air will fuel the development of storms on Saturday in a zone from northeastern Texas and over to western Georgia, the eastern half of Tennessee, and up into central Kentucky. Unfortunately for those still recovering from the devastation of Hurricane Helene, the weekend storms will once again train over parts of western North Carolina. The damaged infrastructure left behind will be vulnerable to these impacts.

For example, Asheville, North Carolina is bracing for a half of an inch of rain overnight Saturday and into Sunday. The forecast is calling for another half of an inch of rain to bring the weekend to a close. Winds will pick up in intensity late Saturday, landing at speeds up to 20 mph. Temperatures will hit a high of about 60 degrees on Sunday, unseasonably warm for this time of the year in the mountain resort town.

The most powerful storms are forecast for the area expanding from central Louisiana and into northern Alabama on Saturday. This region should prepare for the possibility of frequent lightning strikes, isolated tornadoes, hail and damaging winds.

There are a number of major metro areas under the threat of severe weather on Saturday. Once again, Houstonians will want to enable severe weather alerts on their smartphones. New Orleans will also be under the gun for stormy conditions. The Crescent City will see dry but foggy conditions early with the risk of thunderstorms increasing in the evening and overnight hours. It will be a breezy day in the bayou with winds coming in from the south-southeast at 10 to 20 mph.

It will be a rocky day of weather in Birmingham, Alabama. The city in the northern part of the state is forecast to see straight rain showers early that evolve into thunderstorms throughout the afternoon, evening, and overnight hours. The heaviest rain bands will move through overnight, amounting to about a half of an inch of accumulation. The wind speeds will also increase after the sun goes down.

The line of thunderstorms could also hit the Atlanta metro area by the late afternoon. These storms are forecast to intensify overnight in the Peach City.

Charlotte will likely escape with just plain rain on Saturday. The Queen City is forecast to see about a half of an inch fall across the area during the day with another quarter of an inch in store overnight.

Sunday's Forecast Calls for More of the Same

The storm activity will push to the east to end the weekend. More storms are likely to erupt along a cold front that is setting up from Ohio and down into central portions of Florida. Areas to the south will continue to see unseasonably warm temperatures despite the cloudy conditions. While the moderate temperatures may feel nice, the warmth and humidity will serve to support the development of more storms.

The most potent storm cells will likely pack enough energy to produce isolated tornadoes. Because of the presence of so much moisture, the twisters could be wrapped in rain, making them more difficult to spot. In addition to the threat of tornadoes, these storms will also likely usher in heavy rain and marble-sized hail at times.

Although Sunday's storms may not be as powerful as the Thursday activity, the area of coverage will mean that more Americans will experience the impacts. The torrential rain and gusty winds will whip up over parts of interstates 77, 81, and 85 during the afternoon before reaching the populated Interstate 95 corridor in the evening hours.

Motorists heading home after the holiday weekend or in anticipation of New Year's Eve will need to be prepared for the possibility of reduced visibility and ponding on the roads.

Specific Metro Area Forecasts

Now let's look at a few of the specific forecasts for the most populated cities in the region. New York City is forecast to see the rain intensify later in the day Sunday, eventually sending about a half of an inch over the Big Apple in the overnight hours and into Monday. It will be a warm day in the city by late December standards with a forecast high of 59 degrees and lows that dip just a few notches lower.

Washington, D.C. will spend Sunday under cloudy skies with the rain arriving later in the evening and overnight hours. Like New York City, the nation's capital is forecast to pick up about a half of an inch of rain out of this weather maker. Highs will hover in the mid 60s on Sunday before bottoming out at the 50-degree mark overnight.

It will be a warm but messy day in Raleigh, North Carolina. The city in the Research Triangle is forecast to see rainfall of about a quarter of an inch during the day, pairing with winds out of the south-southeast at 15 to 25 mph. Forecasters are warning that higher gusts are a possibility. The threat of thunderstorms will increase during the evening before partial clearing in store for the overnight hours. Highs will reach about 70 degrees during the peak afternoon heating hours with lows expected to slide to about 5 degrees.

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