Heavy rain and “upside down temperatures” are predicted for a large portion of the United States due to a weather trend that is likely to stretch throughout the nation. In Texas, it will also cause strong thunderstorms.
The repercussions of the pattern, known as an omega block, will be noticeable during the first full week of May. Here is what we currently know about Friday’s severe weather outlook and its consequences for the Lone Star State.
With “intense clusters of thunderstorms,” analysts predicted that the severe weather outbreak that has been pounding the south-central U.S. for days would extend up into Tennessee and Kentucky on May 2.
According to the Storm Prediction Centre, the strongest wind gusts and hail could accompany the severe thunderstorms that are predicted to occur in the afternoon to evening. The largest of these storms is forecast to occur over Central Texas. Hail with a diameter of at least two inches is expected to hit Austin, Waco, San Antonio, and Kerrville.
The National Weather Service says there’s also a chance of one or two tornadoes. Early on May 2, a severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for over 1.1 million people in North Texas and Oklahoma.
Following days of intense rains that have already saturated the ground and caused fatal flooding in Oklahoma, flooding is still a concern in the south-central region due to a modest risk of excessive rainfall.
The term “omega block” alludes to the jet stream’s form, which is modelled after the Greek letter omega (Ω).
“This stubborn configuration blocks the typical west-to-east flow of the jet stream, much like a large rock in a small stream forces the flow of water around it,” according to The Weather Channel. “That’s why meteorologists call it a blocking pattern.”
The Weather Channel warns of “areas of slow-moving low pressure, leading to several days of unsettled weather near and just to the east of them” in the areas on either side of the omega block.
Conversely, regions in the northern half of the omega block are expected to have warmer-than-normal temperatures along with dry, sunny conditions.
According to The Weather Channel, from Sunday through at least Wednesday, the omega block is predicted to bring locally heavy rainfall to the central, southern, and High Plains. This will probably cause flash floods in parts of Oklahoma and northern Texas and exacerbate current river flooding.
Inverse temperatures across the United States will be the omega block’s second main effect. The Weather Channel reports that most of the Northwest, Northern Plains, and upper Midwest will have higher temperatures starting this weekend and continuing throughout the first part of next week. Highs in the 70s or 80s are predicted for a section between Montana and Minnesota.
As temperatures in Las Vegas might not hit 70 degrees during the first half of the week, these regions might be warmer than parts of the Desert Southwest and South. With the exception of Florida and South Texas, temperatures in other parts of the South are predicted to stay in the 70s or low 80s.
