A clash of two seasons is underway as an early winter blast meets record-breaking fall heat, driving a powerful storm system across the South and creating the biggest tornado threat the US has seen in more than five months.   

  A tornado watch is in effect Friday afternoon for nearly 12 million people in parts of Texas, Oklahoma and Arkansas, and according to the Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office in northeast Texas, there were reports of tornadoes and damage there on Friday. afternoon.   

  “Several tornadoes are possible in far southeastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas,” the Storm Prediction Center warned in its severe weather outlook Friday, adding that “one or two strong tornadoes may develop late afternoon to early evening.” .   
    CNN Weather

  The Storm Prediction Center has flagged a “moderate risk” – Level 4 out of 5 – area of ​​severe thunderstorms Friday for eastern Texas, southeastern Oklahoma, southwestern Arkansas and northwestern Louisiana.   

  The Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area remains under an elevated risk – Level 3 of 4 – for Friday.   

  “The most likely area for strong tornadoes [EF2 or higher] will be from far southeast Oklahoma south into eastern Texas, east of the I-35 corridor,” the forecast center said.   

  A tornado watch is in effect until 8:00 p.m. local time and includes north-central and northeast Texas, eastern and southern Oklahoma, and northwest Arkansas.  It includes Dallas, Waco and Tyler in Texas, Tulsa in Oklahoma and Fort Smith and Fayetteville in Arkansas.   

  In addition to strong tornadoes, scattered large to very large hail larger than golf ball size (2 inches in diameter) is also possible, according to the Storm Prediction Center.   

  The main threat will shift from tornadoes Friday afternoon and evening to damaging winds overnight as the storms align and spread across Arkansas and Louisiana.   

  As the storms push eastward, a significant widespread and damaging wind event is forecast later Friday afternoon across parts of the Ark-La-Tex region.  That’s why the forecast center upgraded the threat level for Friday.   

  “Storms will persist into the night, tracking much of Louisiana and Arkansas and into western Mississippi,” the forecast center added.   

  This storm system will move quickly from the west to the east, which will minimize the possibility of flash flooding in the Ark-La-Tex area.  Further north, one to four inches of rain is expected through Saturday across a wide area from Kansas to Wisconsin.   

  Rainfall is much needed in this region as the recent drought has caused the Mississippi River to reach record low levels, affecting shipping and the supply chain.   

  In total, 42 million people from Texas to Wisconsin are at risk of severe storms on Friday.  Houston, San Antonio, Oklahoma City, Little Rock, Kansas City and Wichita are also at risk.   

  The last time the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area was at elevated risk or higher was May 24.   

  While tornadoes in the US can occur any month of the year, they are most common in the spring thanks to the collision of cold and warm air as the seasons change.  The same confluence of temperatures occurs in the fall, so you’ll often see a secondary “severe season” later in the year.   

  “You can see that while the spring months are our busiest season climatologically, there is a minor increase in tornado activity in November,” the National Weather Service in New Orleans said.   

  Texas sees the most tornadoes (7) on average in November, followed by Alabama (6), Louisiana (5), and Mississippi (5).   

  The time of day a tornado occurs makes a big difference in the fatality rate.  Nighttime tornadoes are more dangerous because many people are asleep and don’t know to seek a safe location.  While the greatest tornado threat for this particular event exists during the daytime hours, there is still a chance for a few rotating storms during the evening hours.   

  Make sure you have your severe weather safety plan ready before bad weather hits.  Know where to go if severe weather hits and make sure flashlights work and cell phones are fully charged in case you lose power.   

  “One of the most important features of severe weather safety plans is to have a reliable means of receiving severe weather warnings,” the weather service in New Orleans said.