Clouds and showers have kept us rather stable today. That keeps us from getting storms. Nevertheless, the Storm Prediction Center continues to highlight our area in the marginal risk for severe storms for this evening. The marginal risk is the lowest of the five severe weather risk categories.
Current radar shows a broken line of heavier showers just west of Nashville. Those are along the cold front. Until that line clears through later this evening, we’ll have the threat for a storm, though that threat looks low at this point. This line of showers has yet to show any lightning, though that may change as we go through the evening.
So, look for scattered showers to continue through the evening, and perhaps a few of you will get a thundershower. Any rain is welcome, as it washes some of the pollen from the air, and it helps our rainfall deficit, which was nearing one inch before today’s rain.
Incidentally, below normal temperatures have spared much of the US from tornadoes this April. As we close out the month tomorrow, we are on track to end the month of April with the second lowest number of tornadoes on record for the nation, with less than 100 tornadoes reported. We’ve only recorded fewer than 100 April tornadoes four other times since records have been kept. Interestingly, March of 2021 was one of the most active Marchs on record.
In the past, an inactive April has lead to a very active May for the country. May is also historically the most active month for tornadoes across the country.
In Tennessee, there have been 12 tornadoes in April. West TN had 5, Middle TN had 4, and East TN has had 3. The most active day on the plateau was April 8, when an EF-0 impacted Pleasant Hill.
Let’s hope for a continued quiet spring!