Updated Dec. 16, 2019 11:47 AM
Following a stretch of quiet weather, residents in parts of the Deep South will need to be on alert Monday for a severe thunderstorm threat that could unleash impacts such as damaging wind gusts and isolated tornadoes.
The storm that moved out of the Rocky Mountains over the weekend severed into two parts.
The first wave brought wintry conditions to the central Plains and Ohio Valley on Sunday and Sunday night and will impact the mid-Atlantic and Northeast on Monday into Tuesday.
The second part will organize into a potent storm system over the Mississippi Valley on Monday.
This second storm will pull warm, moist air north from the Gulf of Mexico into the Deep South.
Meanwhile, strong winds aloft blowing from a slightly different direction can create a dangerous setup. Tall thunderstorms will erupt in this condition.
"The variance of wind direction at different heights in the atmosphere may cause some of the thunderstorms to rotate," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski.
"It is this same rotation that may spawn a handful of tornadoes over the lower Mississippi Valley and the Mississippi Delta region and people should treat the situation seriously, even though the calendar says its mid-December," Sosnowski said.
At the same time, an area of high pressure will quickly build into the Plains behind this system, dragging cold air south from Canada.
The clash of these air masses will create unsettled conditions from the central Gulf coast to middle Mississippi and Tennessee valleys.
Showers and thunderstorms are forecast to develop along a cold front sweeping through the area.
Storms are expected to strengthen into the afternoon and evening hours, becoming strong and even severe. The storms are likely to organize into a solid line.
"These storms will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts, torrential downpours, hail and even an isolated tornado or two," said AccuWeather Meteorologist Brandon Buckingham. "These threats will continue for a time into the evening hours, becoming even more dangerous in the dark."
Any of the storms ahead of and along the front have the potential to produce isolated tornadoes.
The strongest storms are projected to develop in western Tennessee, western Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama and will threaten Nashville and Memphis, Tennessee, as well as Jackson, Mississippi.
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"Travelers on interstates 20, 22, 40, 55 and others in the area should plan for rapidly changing conditions along their route as these storms track eastward," Buckingham said.
Even in the absence of stronger storms, plenty of moisture across the region can lead to downpours.
"Any thunderstorms can produce torrential downpours which could sharply reduce visibility," AccuWeather Meteorologist Brett Edwards said.
Motorists should also be wary of ponding on roads and the risk of hydroplaning.
Most storms are forecast to gradually weaken late on Monday night as the front continues to push to the east.
"Once the threat for thunderstorms track eastward later Monday night, cold air will rush in behind the passage of a cold front," Buckingham said.
Showers and thunderstorms will shift into the Southeast on Tuesday where the environment will be less conducive for severe weather. However, storms may still produce periods of heavy rain and gusty winds.
Temperatures will be well below average on Tuesday morning into Wednesday across the lower Mississippi Valley and much of the South in the wake of the front.
Download the free AccuWeather app to check the forecast in your area. Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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