1/10 – Rob Knight’s “SEVERE THREAT” Friday/Weekend Forecast

A dynamic storm system is still on track to impact the Deep South this weekend and…

present a significant chance for severe weather starting Friday night to our west and lasting through Saturday afternoon.

Locally, the greatest threat from severe weather should occur in the pre-dawn hours Saturday morning and lasting through the early afternoon hours Saturday. All modes of severe weather will be possible. We are still anticipating the main mode of severe weather to be a squall line that moves through Saturday early morning and the main front to move through midday into early afternoon. Guidance does show a few discreet cells being able to fire ahead of the main line. Those storms will be very capable to produce tornadoes. Bottom line is that the area needs to be prepared for a impactful severe weather episode Friday night through Saturday afternoon.

Outside of the severe weather threat, gradient winds will be fairly strong ahead of the system Friday night. A Wind Advisory has been issued for the area Friday night through Saturday afternoon as the gradient winds could be anywhere between 15 to 30 mph sustained and gusts to 35 to 40 mph possible. Also the threat of some minor coastal flooding is possible with the strong southeast to southerly flow over the waters expect some water to start piling up along the coast and back bay areas. Expect tides to be 1 to 2 feet above normal. A Coastal Flood Advisory has been issued for portions of the forecast area for this reason.

The frontal system is expected to linger just off the coast in the north Gulf Sunday then return as a warm front Sunday night into Monday. There will likely be numerous showers and some thunderstorms that move back north with the warm front late Sunday night into Monday.