Three States Face Tornado Threat Days After Arctic Blast

Three Southern states face severe thunderstorms accompanied by a flash flood risk and possible tornadoes just days after battling subzero temperatures and snow.

Texas, Louisiana and Arkansas are in a thunderstorm's path Thursday and Friday. All three states were subjected to an arctic blast that affected much of the U.S. around Christmas, threatening the Texas power grid, causing blackouts and plunging Louisiana and Eastern Texas temperatures into the teens. Some areas in Arkansas saw subzero temperatures. Thermometers have started to return to normal and the three states are back to typical winter behavior and are facing thunderstorm and isolated tornado threats.

On Wednesday, The Weather Channel meteorologist Scot Pilié tweeted a warning about the possible storms.

"Be aware! Few strong-severe thunderstorms possible Thursday-Friday," he tweeted. "Main risk of gusty winds, isolated tornado, & flash flooding."

His forecast showed that many areas in the Gulf Coast could face 1 to 2 inches of rainfall, with some areas receiving more than 3 inches.

Pilié shared several forecast images with his tweet, showing that the storms are possible in several-hundred-mile-long swath from south of Lufkin, Texas, northeast to Little Rock, Arkansas. Flash flood risks target a larger area, extending from south of Houston to the southern tip of Illinois, with the highest risk in Eastern Texas, Western Louisiana and South-central Arkansas.

AccuWeather senior meteorologist Carl Erickson told Newsweek that the incoming storm is separate from the arctic blast, which has started to exit the U.S. after a turbulent week of frigid weather and blizzards. The system bringing the thunderstorms to the area is coming from the Pacific Ocean.

Erickson said the storm is "localized" and shouldn't cause a widespread outbreak of severe storms.

The area has already faced tornadoes several times this season. In late November, a massive thunderstorm subjected roughly 30 million people to severe storms and multiple tornados from the Northwestern Gulf Coast to the Mississippi Valley. Several weeks later, severe thunderstorms and tornadoes again targeted the northern half of Louisiana, all of Arkansas and part of East Texas.

Although late fall and winter tornadoes are rare for much of the rest of the country, their frequency increases in the South, especially near the Gulf Coast. Despite December being the lowest-risk month for tornadoes, Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama and Georgia top the list with an average of three or more tornadoes that month.

Due to those states' proximity to the Gulf Coast, winter tornadoes aren't uncommon as warm air in the Gulf interacts with cool air coming into the region, creating the volatile environment needed for tornadoes.