Dangerous Storms Monday in East Texas, But a Pretty Easter Awaits

Today is Palm Sunday, which means we are exactly one week away from Easter. As of now, the forecast for Easter weekend is looking favorable...but, we will get to that in just a bit.

Dangerous Storm System Approaching the South

On Monday, a cold front is expected to start pushing through the southern plains and into Texas. This will produce showers and thunderstorms ahead of it, and some of those storms across Texas, Arkansas, Louisiana, and Mississippi could be severe.

Much of East Texas is in the green-shaded (marginal) area for the threat of severe storms. That means that there should be some isolated instances of severe storms in that sector.

Meanwhile, Shelby, San Augustine, Sabine, Jasper and Newton Counties are included in the yellow-shaded (slight) area. Eastern Nacogdoches and southeastern Angelina Counties are also in this zone. Scattered severe storms are forecasted for this area.

The enhanced, brown-shaded area extends through the Mississippi River Valley.

What Kind of Severe Weather Can We Expect?

Damaging straight-line winds and tornadoes will be the main threats from these storms.

Referencing the map above, the tornado threat to east Texas appears to be minimal, however, that changes as you move into Louisiana. The hatched area between Monroe and Vicksburg is in danger of the worst of the weather with the possibility of EF2 or stronger tornadoes.

Timing of the Storms

A well-defined line of storms is expected to push through east Texas between 6 a.m. and noon on Monday. A few showers may linger around throughout the afternoon, but the severe threat should be confined to the morning hours.

A Look Ahead to Easter

Cooler weather will filter into the Pineywoods for the first part of the week, then a warming trend will take us into Easter weekend.

The current forecast is for partly to mostly cloudy skies with highs in the low 80s for Easter weekend.