Severe Storm Threat Friday Morning, Snow Chance & COLD Early Next Week
WBBJ 7 Forecast Update
WBBJ 7 Forecast Update:
Storms are beginning to fire up tonight in Arkansas and will slowly drift to the east overnight. The main push of storms will move through West Tennessee between 6AM and noon, tracking to the east and likely coming Through Jackson between 8-10am. Severe storms will be possible.
We have been upgraded to a slight risk (2/5) for severe storms Friday morning across West Tennessee. Intense straight line winds will be likely and a tornado or two will also be possible. Please stay weather aware. Cold and snow is on track for early next week. We will have the latest hour by hour breakdown on Friday morning’s storm threat and the latest information on the cold and snow coming early next week coming up here.
WIND ADVISORY:
A wind advisory has been issued for all of West Tennessee on Friday from 3AM-Midnight. A high wind warning has even been issued for western Kentucky as intense area of low pressure will move through Friday afternoon.
Winds will be sustained between 25-35 MPH with gusts as high as 55 MPH will be possible during the day. The winds will come out of the southwest.
TONIGHT:
Thursday was a nice and mild day as we were in-between systems for most of the day. After some early day sunshine, clouds will increase into Thursday night. There is a chance for some showers to return late Thursday night but most of us will see the rain and storms stay away until Friday morning. Highs on Thursday reached the mid to upper 50s to near 60°. The winds were a tad breezy and came out of the south and will increase overnight. Thursday night lows will be warm due to the southerly winds tapping into the gulf moisture and only fall down to the upper 40s or low 50s.
FRIDAY:
The next system is coming in on Friday and it looks like it will be quite similar to Monday’s system. We are going to be dealing with very gusty winds and heavy rain showers and storms again. There will be a few severe storms and even a tornado or two cannot be ruled out, so we will need to keep an eye on that and you should stay weather aware. We are currently under a slight risk for severe storms (2/5). The greatest threat for these storms will be between 6AM-Noon and areas south of Jackson.
Like the storm system earlier in the week, we cannot rule out a few flurries as the system clears out Friday night but it appears to be another heavy rain event for most of us. Another 1-2″ of rain seems likely before the system moves out. Highs on Friday will reach the mid to upper 50s and Friday night lows could plummet as the system moves out and fall down to the low to mid 20s if the skies clear by Saturday morning.
THE WEEKEND:
The coldest weather so far this season is on the tap for the weekend in West Tennessee. Morning lows will drop down to the low 20s and highs are forecast to only reach the mid to upper 30s. The winds this weekend will come out of the west or northwest and will be quite brisk due to the cold temperatures. Mostly sunny skies are on tap for Saturday but clouds will look to move back in late in the day Sunday. We should see a dry start to the weekend but Sunday evening/night into Monday, another system will be on the way.
The system early next week looks to be quite the attention grabber. It appears as of now, it will be our best shot for some accumulating snow so far this season. Please keep an eye on the forecast as this might be a bread and milk getting type system next Monday. Highs next Monday might only reach the 20s. The main question as far as the temperatures, will be when the clouds move out. As long as the clouds stick around we will stay above 10°, but once they clear out, temperatures could bottom out around 0°.
NEXT WEEK:
Accumulations of snow seem likely for most of West Tennessee and initial thoughts are the highest amounts will be in our northwest counties with the lowest amounts being in our southeast counties. It is too early to give a snow total forecast but it could be a few inches for some of us. 1-4″ seems to be the amount most of us will see by the time the system clears out Monday night. On top of the snow chances, single digit or even below zero temperatures will be possible Monday night and again on Tuesday night. The wind chill will be a major concern Tuesday morning for all of us.
The snow will move out during the day on Monday but the cold will stick around for most of next week. Please plan accordingly and be prepared to stay inside for a few days early next week. Please remember the 4 ps (people, pipes, pets and plants) as the system moves in late over the weekend and the frigid air moves in early next week. The snow will clear out on Monday but the cold will be sticking around for the first half of next week.
FINAL THOUGHT:
Very heavy rain, winds and some gusty storms are coming Friday morning with some severe storms looking likely. These storms will impact most of the region and the heavy rain will again hit ALL of West Tennessee. Some areas could see 4″ of rain this week between the two systems. Although some light snow flurries will be possible Friday night as the system moves out, next week’s storm will be our best shot for some winter precipitation. It is too early to tell exactly how much, but it looks more like a snow than an ice event for us this time. We will fine tune the forecast as the week progresses and Friday’s system clears out. Stay with WBBJ this week for the latest forecast information and be prepared, not scared and stay weather aware.
For tips on preparing for the storms, click here. To download the WBBJ 7 Weather app, click here.
Storm Team Chief Meteorologist
Joel Barnes
Facebook: @JoelBarnesWeather
Twitter: @JoelBarnes13
Instagram: @joelbarnes13
