Severe Weather will come with rain as drought conditions are still going strong despite the recent rains.  It cannot be emphasized enough that the fires that saw 3 lives end in Tennessee can still continue over the coming days.    Arson investigations have been opened in some of these fires as investigators begin to determine how the fires started but fire conditions will not take long to return to areas once the rains pass so please remain vigilant in your daily activities when fire is involved.  To all of our readers and their neighbors in these regions,  stay safe and plan ahead.   As seen in Gaitlinburg, these fires can come very quickly.  Prepare in advance and be ready to leave at a moments notice with multiple escape routes as options.

Rain will continue in the southeast tonight into Wednesday from Extreme Eastern Texas over the South Florida along the gulf up north through Arkansas into the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes regions.  Additional precipitation is possible in New England with freezing rain advisories issued for the higher and more northern elevations.  Severe Weather, including Flash Floods and Tornadoes are possible tonight and will be addressed in this post.

A slowly weakening low pressure system across the northern plains and Upper Midwest will continue to bring potentially heavy snow to the Dakotas into this evening, before snow begins to gradually taper off overnight. Scattered snow and some rain showers will still be possible across the northern plains and Upper Midwest into Wednesday.

Farther east, widespread rain and even some thunderstorms are expected tonight and Wednesday from the lower Mississippi valley to the Northeast. Some areas of heavy rain are possible across portions of the lower Mississippi and Tennessee valleys through tonight as some significant rains have already fallen in the area.

The showers and thunderstorms will reach the East Coast on Wednesday, with thunderstorms possible from the Southeast to the southern Mid-Atlantic region. By late in the day, snow is expected to develop across northern Maine as the precipitation spreads into colder air already in place. Snow may be heavy
at times Wednesday night into Thursday.

Strong low pressure seen here moving into Canada has dragged a cold front south draped down into the Carolinas.  This weakening front brought the region last nights rain.  A second cold front associated with this low is now moving through Illinois down into Texas.  This front, along with a developing warm front moving north from the gulf are what will set the stage for tonight’s Severe Weather risk

Severe Weather Returns

Day 1 Risk

Area (sq. mi.)

Area Pop.

Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area

MODERATE

13,427

585,227

Tupelo, MS…Starkville, MS…Greenwood, MS…Grenada, MS…Oxford, MS…

ENHANCED

42,707

2,601,397

Baton Rouge, LA…Jackson, MS…Monroe, LA…Greenville, MS…Florence, AL…

SLIGHT

113,393

11,559,771

Nashville, TN…New Orleans, LA…Birmingham, AL…Mobile, AL…Huntsville, AL…

MARGINAL

49,543

6,567,755

Memphis, TN…Lexington-Fayette, KY…Montgomery, AL…Knoxville, TN…Beaumont, TX…

The storm prediction center has upgraded a small region in Northern Mississippi to a moderate risk while large portions of the south east remain in an enhanced or slight risk area.  The  risk for Tornadoes is large tonight and Tornado watches have already been issued for several counties.

Day 1 Tornado Risk

Area (sq. mi.)

Area Pop.

Some Larger Population Centers in Risk Area

SIG SEVERE

56,076

3,179,960

Baton Rouge, LA…Jackson, MS…Monroe, LA…Greenville, MS…Tupelo, MS…

15 %

13,456

588,577

Tupelo, MS…Starkville, MS…Greenwood, MS…Grenada, MS…Oxford, MS…

10 %

42,678

2,598,047

Baton Rouge, LA…Jackson, MS…Monroe, LA…Greenville, MS…Florence, AL…

5 %

70,735

7,846,202

Nashville, TN…New Orleans, LA…Birmingham, AL…Huntsville, AL…Metairie, LA…

2 %

43,513

4,379,865

Chattanooga, TN…Clarksville, TN…Beaumont, TX…Gulfport, MS…Lake Charles, LA…

The risk for significant tornadoes exists from Baton Rouge and Monroe Louisiana north towards Florence Alabama and just south of Nashville Tennessee, however, tornadoes can be expected from Beaumont Texas right up into Central Kentucky.

Current Tornado Watches

These watches extend from near Alexandria Louisiana to almost Jackson Tennessee and include Monroe Louisiana and Jackson and Tupelo Mississippi.  Memphis Tennessee remains just north east of the watch area but Tornadoes can occur outside the watch boxes so vigilance must be maintained.

The latest radar imagery show several strong and locally severe storms ongoing across the Lower Mississippi Valley area.  Advection will continue to occur across the Central Gulf Coast States and move into the Tennessee Valley as an upper level system approaches.  The Severe Weather and Tornado risk will spread northward with time.

firsthand Weather expects that Tornado Watches will continue to be expanded northeastward into further into Tennessee as scattered supercells in Mississippi move in that direction this evening.  Northeast Alabama and Tennessee should begin to see the impacts of these storms this evening into the overnight.  The environment is becoming more favorable for rotating storms as the evening goes on, especially in Northeast Mississippi.  Large hail and damaging winds will also be a risk tonight.

Robert Millette

Firsthand Weather