Severe storms possible Christmas - KSLA News 12 Shreveport, Louisiana News Weather & Sports

Severe storms possible Christmas

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By Grant Dade - email

An area of low pressure will develop across the Texas Panhandle sinking south and east towards the Hill Country before racing north and east across East Texas Early Christmas. The exact track is still in doubt and will play a huge role on what weather you can expect where you live. To the south of the low pressure severe weather is likely to develop including the threat of tornadoes. Along and north of the low pressure track mainly a cold rain with embedded thundershowers is expected with rain changing to snow Christmas afternoon.

Right now the official forecast brings the low pressure from near Dallas across East Texas to Marshall during between 6AM and Noon on Christmas Day. If this track were to verify then the southern half of East Texas will be under a slight to moderate risk of severe weather with the main threat being gusty winds and tornadoes. We will have to watch the radar very closely because if the storms remain discrete, not forming a line, then the threat of tornadoes will increase. If the storms are able to form a squall line then high wind will be the primary threat. The most likely time for these strong to severe storms would be between 6AM and 11AM along and south of a line from Athens to Tyler to Longview to Marshall. The farther south you live the greater the threat of severe weather will be.

After the low pressure moves east of our area very cold air will spill across East Texas. Areas north of I-20 will likely see at least a brief period of rain changing to snow before the precipitation ends. There may even be enough snowfall for a dusting to an inch of snow for the I-30 corridor. Areas south of I-20 may see a few flurries Christmas night but no accumulation is expected.

Again this is a developing weather situation that needs to be monitored closely. The timing of severe weather is expected to interfere with Christmas morning festivities. Please monitor the latest severe weather threats through KLTV.com and KTRE.com and if you have not done so yet, please go to your smart phone's app store and down load the weather app. This Christmas it could come in very handy.