Active Start to 2023 Down South

Deep South Severe:

Yesterday's potent storm system didn't bring much to northern Illinois and southern Wisconsin. But if you traveled roughly 750 to 800 miles to the south, you had a much... much different story. 

A significant severe weather outbreak unfolded across the Tennessee Valley and the Deep South states as the associated cold front swept through. Along the front, a broken quasi-liner line of severe storms formed, posing a threat for damaging wind gusts. 

Also on the table was the threat for renegade supercells, or severe storms that form out ahead of the main line. These, because of their isolated and more-discrete nature, have a higher potential to produce tornadoes. Some of these tornadoes could be long-lasting and strong (EF-2+).

One supercell in particular produced a long-track tornado that brought significant damage to Selma, Alabama, a town with a population of 17,600. All in all, there were 35 tornado reports, 161 wind reports, and 19 hail reports. The National Weather Service is going to be very busy the next few days conducting surveys, which will help determine just how strong these tornadoes were.