Special Weather Statement

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTBREAK FORECAST FOR FRIDAY...

AN OUTBREAK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS...INCLUDING THE POSSIBILITY OF 
STRONG TORNADOES...IS BEING FORECAST FOR THE REGION FRIDAY. THE 
THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER COULD START LATE TONIGHT IN AREAS OF THE 
ARKLAMISS DELTA...AND WILL THEN SHIFT EAST ACROSS THE REGION DURING 
THE DAY FRIDAY.

A STRONG LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM OVER THE MIDWEST WILL BEGIN MOVING A 
COLD FRONT TOWARD THE AREA LATER TONIGHT AND INTO FRIDAY. A STRONG 
INFLUX OF WARM AND UNSTABLE AIR WILL SURGE NORTH OUT OF THE GULF OF 
MEXICO INTO THE REGION AHEAD OF THIS FEATURE. THE COMBINATION OF THE 
STRONGLY UNSTABLE AIR...STRONG WINDS ALOFT IN THE ATMOSPHERE...AND 
THE APPROACHING STORM SYSTEM WILL RESULT IN AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE 
FOR SIGNIFICANT SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS.

AT THE PRESENT TIME...THE MOST LIKELY SCENARIO APPEARS TO BE FOR A 
BAND OF SCATTERED STRONG TO SEVERE STORMS TO DEVELOP LATE TONIGHT OR 
EARLY FRIDAY MORNING OVER THE ARKLAMISS DELTA REGION. THIS ACTIVITY 
WILL THEN GRADUALLY SHIFT EAST...REACHING THE NATCHEZ TRACE CORRIDOR 
REGION BY LATE MORNING OR EARLY AFTERNOON...AND EAST CENTRAL AND 
SOUTHEAST MISSISSIPPI BY THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

DUE TO THE SCATTERED NATURE OF THE EXPECTED STORMS...NOT ALL AREAS 
WILL EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER. THOSE AREAS THAT DO...THOUGH...WILL 
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO HAVE DANGEROUS SEVERE STORMS. STRONG 
TORNADOES...HAIL LARGER THAN GOLF BALLS...AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS TO 
80 MPH COULD OCCUR WITH THE MOST INTENSE STORMS ON FRIDAY. WHILE ALL 
OF THE AREA HAS A RISK FOR SIGNIFICANT SEVERE WEATHER...AN ENHANCED 
RISK FOR THE MOST DANGEROUS STORMS LOOKS TO EXIST ALONG AND NORTH OF 
INTERSTATE 20...AND ALONG AND EAST OF INTERSTATE 55.

PEOPLE ACROSS THE REGION SHOULD STAY UP TO DATE WITH THE LATEST 
WEATHER INFORMATION REGARDING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER EPISODE.