'Monstrous Storm' May Send Tornadoes To Louisiana Again In Weeks' Time

Louisiana may be subject to late-season tornadoes for the second time in less than a month.

In late November, a slew of nighttime tornadoes hit the south-central United States as a massive thunderstorm moved from the northwestern Gulf Coast to the Mississippi Valley and into the Midwest.

Another "monstrous" storm could hit early next week, severely impacting parts of the same area, according to AccuWeather.

Meteorologists are warning that the massive storm could cause a "significant threat to lives and property."

The extreme weather pattern will boast a myriad of conditions—everything from blizzards in the northern Plains states to rain on the east coast and severe storms, including tornadoes and damaging winds as fast as 80 miles per hour, for south-central states.

The storm is expected to hit in several stages beginning as early as this weekend with snow slated for parts of the Pacific coast. As the storm builds strength, south-central states will feel the brunt of the thunderstorms on Monday and Tuesday.

AccuWeather Chief On-Air Meteorologist Bernie Rayno said the storm could include even more tornadoes than the southern states experienced in late November.

"It seems there will be just too much energy available in the atmosphere for that not to occur," he said.

Forecasts show the northern half of Louisiana, all of Arkansas and an eastern piece of Texas as the highest risk areas for the storm.

"Unusually high confidence for potentially significant severe weather event next week across the southern U.S.," The Weather Channel meteorologist Scot Pilié tweeted on Thursday with a map of the forecast for the south-central states.

If tornadoes form, they are expected to hit Tuesday afternoon and Tuesday night. AccuWeather meteorologist Jake Sodja told Newsweek that overnight storms mean the incoming potential tornadoes could be "particularly deadly".

The late November tornadoes also hit overnight, which increases the risk to people as darkness can shield the storms from view. Meteorologist equipment has no trouble picking up storms at night, so meteorologists urged people to follow any warnings or alerts they receive rather than judging the danger by what they can see outside.

December is the lowest-risk month for tornadoes, according to a report published by United States Tornadoes. Peak tornado season is May and June, but tornado frequency begins to increase in March and April. December averages 27 tornadoes across the United States, with Texas, Mississippi, Louisiana, Alabama, and Georgia seeing an average of three or more tornadoes for the month.

Sodja said winter tornados are more common in southern states because of the proximity of the Gulf of Mexico and how that warm air interacts with colder air coming into the region, creating a volatile environment prime for tornadoes.

Accompanying the tornadoes, a blizzard is expected to hit Colorado, North Dakota, South Dakota and Minnesota from Tuesday to Wednesday. Some areas may be subject to as much as a foot of snow.

Update 12/08/22 12:41 p.m. ET: This article was updated with comment from AccuWeather meteorologist Jake Sodja.