Severe storms over the weekend highly unusual

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Severe storms over the weekend highly unusual

While it will take several days to calculate the true extent of severe weather damage from over the weekend, one ag meteorologist says it was one for the history books.

Jeff Andresen tells Brownfield a strong jet stream along with strong winds; very, very warm humid air from the Gulf of Mexico; and colder and drier air from the north and west merged for a catastrophic result.

In a typical year, he says the U.S. only averages about 30 tornadoes over the winter.  There are reports of more than 30 from the weekend including one that spanned more than 230 miles across several states.

“From touch down in Arkansas, through the bootheel of Missouri, into Kentucky and Tennessee,” he says.

He says active weather patterns are likely to continue through the holidays but hopefully none as severe as what moved through on December 10th.

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