Doyle Rice

USA TODAY

Severe storms and a few tornadoes are forecast to rip across portions of the southern Plains and Southeast over the next several days.

The Storm Prediction Center placed areas from Kansas to Alabama under a risk for severe storms Friday and Saturday.

The risk of violent storms Friday will extend from central Kansas and western Missouri to northeastern Texas and western Louisiana, according to AccuWeather.

On Saturday, the worst of the severe weather should be in Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana. Locally heavy rain and flash flooding may also be concerns, the Weather Channel warned.

"There will likely be at least a few tornadoes in the strongest storms," said AccuWeather meteorologist Henry Margusity.

A severe thunderstorm is defined as a thunderstorm that includes a tornado, and/or winds of at least 58 mph, and/or hail of at least 1 inch in diameter. All thunderstorms, whether or not they're officially defined as severe, contain lightning.

Yet another round of severe weather is possible from a new storm system Sunday and Monday in parts of the Plains and South, the Weather Channel said.

So far this year, severe weather has been much worse than usual. As of Wednesday, there have been 369 reports of tornadoes across the country, about double the average, according to the prediction center. Reports of hail and wind are also twice the average.

Farther to the west, 6 to 12 inches of snow is forecast in the higher elevations of Colorado, Utah and Wyoming over the next two days, the National Weather Service said. Denver could see 1-3 inches of snow Friday, even though high temperatures will be in the mid-50s.

Dry, gusty winds are forecast for western Texas on Friday, potentially spreading any wildfires that occur.