A cold front will bring a chance for showers and a few thunderstorms to south Mississippi on Monday. Don’t worry, we aren’t expecting bitter cold air from this front – just a little cooler. The extreme cold we saw earlier this month came from air masses that originated in the North Pole. The front on Monday will bring an air mass that comes from over the Pacific Ocean, which is milder. 

What we are monitoring is the potential for this front to bring a few strong to severe storms.

The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) out of Norman, Oklahoma has highlighted the Gulf Coast of Louisiana and Mississippi in a marginal risk for severe weather. This means there is a low probability for one or two storms to become severe.
 

How bad?
Widespread severe weather is not anticipated at this time due to a lack of instability and upper level support-ingredients needed in abundance to give thunderstorms the boost they need to grow stronger. Rainfall amounts are expected to be less than an inch. 

Timing
The time frame will be in the first part of the day between 8 AM and 3 PM. Rain should come to an end by the early evening. A

So what makes a storm severe?

For a storm to be classified as severe, the National Weather Service has specific criteria. Just because a thunderstorm is producing heavy rain, lightning, and gusty winds, that does not mean it is severe.

A severe thunderstorm is one that has winds of 58 mph or stronger and or hail 1 inch in diameter or larger and or capable of producing a tornado.
 

Eric Jeansonne
WLOX Meteorologist