WHAT: A strong/severe thunderstorm and heavy rainfall. This threat will come with a line of storms along a cold front later on.
WHEN: Between 9:00 pm – 1:00 a.m. (Backed up one hour to account for a storm or two that may develop ahead of the main line).
WHEN DOES THE THREAT END? The threat should end by 1:00 am for everyone on the plateau.
NEXT METEOROLOGIST MARK UPDATE: As needed.
My concern is still low and I don’t foresee changes with that. Still, a low threat is not a zero threat, so let’s be weather aware tonight, just to be safe & sound. A special discussion was just issued for Middle Tennessee by the Storm Prediction Center stating that they believe the line of storms will struggle to make it this far east. They elaborated on something many of us have noticed on radar….that storms are struggling, even in the better environment they find themselves in across West Tennessee.
As always, have multiple ways to get alerts. Let this be a reminder that the spring severe weather season is just getting started. Make sure you’re prepared. You may not need these tonight but I can promise you that you will need this at some point over the next few months. Get that weather radio, if you don’t already have one. This is the one I highly recommend (https://midlandusa.com/product/wr-120-weather-radio/). Shop around and you may find this model cheaper on Amazon, etc.
So, the story hasn’t changed. I still expect a line of strong storms to move through here later tonight. Gusty winds, possibly damaging at times, will be the greatest threat. A brief spin-up tornado is possible but unlikely.
Remember, we still have a flood watch in effect for the threat of heavy downpours that could lead to flooding. Our soils are saturated and rivers are full, so it won’t take much rain to cause some localized flooding issues.
Finally, as if the weather didn’t feel like spring, have you heard the frogs tonight? It feels and sounds like spring outside.
I’ll keep an eye on things and update as needed.
Pictured below is the current radar. I highlighted the borders of Fentress and Cumberland Counties, for reference. The area with the smaller circle are storms ahead of the main line that may move in within the next couple of hours. The main line is farther to the west. Notice all that rainfall!
