Thursday's Severe Threat

A strong cold front is going to move through Region 8 on Thursday. There are still some uncertainties with this system, but we need to be prepared regardless. Here are the bullet points on this storm at 11:30 PM on Wednesday night:

• It's going to be WINDY, even away from the storms.
• On a 4-point scale of Low, Medium, High, and Extreme threat; most of Region 8 either has a low or medium severe weather threat.
• The main threat from the storms will be straight line winds, but a tornado can not be ruled out.
• This is a fast mover and will not be a prolonged event.
• I'd be surprised if anyone had more than 0.30" of rainfall.
• I expect Region 8 to be completely clear of severe weather by 7:00 PM, if not sooner.

So, let's break it down. This year, the Region 8 Storm TEAM will be using a simple (Low, Medium, High, Extreme) threat map to show where the greatest risks for severe weather will exist. Our goal is to be as clear as possible when it comes to conveying the threat of severe weather to everyone. 

Tomorrow, our Eastern counties have the greatest risk of severe weather. This threat continues into TN, KY, AL and MS later in the evening.

As I mentioned earlier, it appears that the greatest threat will be wind and lightning. While the tornado and hail threat is low, it is not non-existent. I would not be surprised to see a couple of tornado warnings in Region 8 on Thursday. Here are the threat levels:

The timing of the storms is a little tricky. While there is a CHANCE of rain at any point on Thursday, the best chance to see severe storms will be during these times and for these areas. Be aware of school dismissal in spots:

Lastly, it's going to be WINDY. Here are the projected winds at 3:00 PM across Region 8. Be careful when you pick up the kids from school. Not only is there a severe storm threat, but also a general threat of strong wind:

That's all I have for now. I'm going to get some rest. Don't forget to follow me on Twitter at @ryanvaughan for more numerous updates.

Take care,

Ryan