Severe Storms, Heavy Rain Threaten South, Ohio Valley During 'Second Season'

Fall is considered the "second season" for severe weather, and the threat for dangerous thunderstorms and heavy rain will return to the South and Ohio Valley by the middle of this week.

(MORE: Tornado Central)

A cold front will slide eastward through the southern Plains and into the lower Mississippi Valley on Wednesday, helping to push a strengthening area of low pressure into those regions.

Ahead of that front, moisture from the Gulf of Mexico will surge northward, resulting in an unstable air mass supportive of severe thunderstorms.

Depicted on the map above is the setup that could spawn severe storms and heavy rain in the South and Ohio Valley during the middle of this week.

The highest chance for severe storms Wednesday into Wednesday night will be from central and eastern Texas into Louisiana, southern Arkansas and western Mississippi, particularly in the late-afternoon and evening hours.

NOAA's Storm Prediction Center says there is an enhanced threat of severe storms from eastern Texas to western Louisiana.

Damaging winds, large hail and a few tornadoes are all possible threats with these storms.