By Steve Norris

Weather News

A cold front will bring a chance of scattered showers Wednesday night and Thursday, and cooler air will settle in with highs in the mid to upper 40s Thursday and Friday.

Saturday is looking like the best day of the weekend with sunshine and 53 degrees. Shower chances quickly return for Sunday and Monday. About 6-7 inches of rain have already fallen this month in Batesville and most of Panola County.

Moisture has been streaming in from the Gulf of Mexico, keeping our rainfall totals quite high

A recent study showed that in the past 25 years, Mississippi led the way in February tornadoes followed by Florida, Texas and Alabama,Tennessee and Kentucky tied for fifth.

The United States averages 1,225 tornadoes a year with Texas, Kansas and Oklahoma recording the most.

Those States comprise what is known as Tornado Alley and now Mississippi, Alabama and Tennessee make up Dixie Alley.

This study also concluded that in the future the tornado season will Peak earlier in March instead of May and the number of April tornadoes is expected to increase.

This tornado study was based on how global warming will affect the severe weather season in the future.