Storms Become Tornadic

Damaging Winds and Hail

As low pressure intensifies across the southern High Plains Wednesday night, a cold front will slice through central Texas, igniting powerful thunderstorms from San Angelo to Abilene.

The primary threats from this first round of severe thunderstorms will come in the form of large hail and damaging gusts of wind, which could bring down trees and power poles.
Hail could reach the size of quarters or even tennis balls across this region, which is big enough to cause damage to vehicles, windshields and windows.

Storms Become Tornadic

As Thursday progresses, the thunderstorms will enter an area of very unstable, warm and moist air across far eastern Texas and Louisiana. Powerful westerly winds behind the thunderstorms will be met with strong southerly winds ahead of them, resulting in a twisting motion of the lower atmosphere.
The second round of thunderstorms will take on rotating supercell characteristics in the late morning into the early evening hours from near Lufkin, Texas eastward to near Hattiesburg. This is the window of opportunity for the worst of the thunderstorm outbreak to take place.


Utility workers cut trees blocking a road in Hattiesburg, Miss., Monday, Feb. 11, 2013, after a tornado damaged the area. (AP Photo/Chuck Cook)
Tornados will be likely in the most violent thunderstorms, and one or two of these tornados will have the potential to become long-lived, life-threatening and destructive. Large hail and damaging wind gusts will also be likely.