04/27 Ryan’s “Warm/Cold Front” Thursday Forecast

Despite last night’s cold front, temperatures rose today by about 5 degrees in Gulfport, so “warm/cold” or “tepid” front might be a better name. What actually happened was a cold front moved through at about 2 AM, but the northerly winds on the back side were weak and only lasted around 8 hours. Any cooler & drier air that moved in was quickly pushed back out as the winds shifted South by sunset, and continue to bring in warm moist air. These winds will continue to increase through Friday and Saturday as the pressure gradient tightens due to a new frontal system moving in. Basically, the temperature and humidity will continue to increase until the front moves through Sunday night.

This new front has a much higher chance of bringing severe weather to the area than the last few we’ve seen. I’ll have a much more detailed look at it tomorrow, but right now all modes of severe weather seem to be possible and the chances continue to climb. We’ll continue to monitor this system as it develops and have updates through the weekend. Expect a few days of clear & dry weather as we begin the next work week.