5NEWS Meteorologists have declared Monday, May 9th as a Weather Alert Day for NW Arkansas and the River Valley.
Weather Alert Days are used to emphasize a higher than normal risk of severe weather including damaging wind and tornadoes that affects a large portion of the viewing area.
The latest data indicates the potential for a broken line of supercell storms in Eastern Oklahoma moving into NW and West Central Arkansas in the late afternoon and early evening hours.
Supercell storms are singular storms that contain a central updraft and central downdraft and are the storms most responsible for severe weather; including tornadoes.
The time to watch for the worst storms is as early as 4pm and as late at midnight; with the critical time from 5pm to 10pm.
Storms that merge into lines will have a risk of wind damage as well as weak, brief spin-up tornadoes similar to the storms in late April.
The storms that remain isolated with have risk of stronger tornadoes, damaging wind, and destructive hail over 2″ in diameter.
Expect updates throughout the day on Monday as the severe weather risk unfolds starting at 4:30am.
It’s likely that a few storms will already be underway on Monday morning. These storms are occurring with a return of deeper humidity and will also pose at least a minimal risk of severe weather with hail being the greatest threat. The stronger storms should hold off until later in the day.
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