Good Saturday morning and Happy New Years to everyone across the Western Carolinas. We are starting 2022 very much like how we departed 2021 as very warm and unseasonably humid weather is entrenched across the Southeast.
Today a strong upper level storm system and developing area of low pressure at the surface will interact with this unusual air mass to produce another severe weather outbreak for a good portion of the Southeast.
The Storm Prediction Center has placed the Tennessee Valley region under an enhanced risk of severe weather for today. This is the second time that the Level 3 threat has been issued this week for that part of the country. It is expected to be a very active day across Tennessee Valley with the potential of tornadoes, damaging winds and heavy rainfall.
Here in the Western Carolinas we are located on the eastern extent of a slight risk for severe weather. That is mainly due to timing of the event as any potential stormy weather that we may see will come as we head into tonight and the early hours of Saturday morning.
Model Guidance
As you can see on the video loop severe weather will be underway across the Tennessee Valley in the afternoon hours and it will organize and move east toward the Southern Appalachians as we head into tonight.
Current guidance indicates that a line of thunderstorms could begin to impact the Blue Ridge Escarpment sometime around midnight tonight. Rain showers and even a couple thunderstorms could occur ahead of the main line. As warm and muggy as it will be today we will need to monitor any pre-frontal activity for severe weather. This line will move through overnight tonight and should begin to exit the region around day break on Sunday
hopefully the timing being late at night will limit the severe weather in the Carolinas regardless we will have to watch and monitor throughout the day.
Impacts/Timeline
The video below illustrates the general impacts that could be seen along with a timeline when the weather could be most active in our coverage area
Be Weather Aware over the next 24 hours. Make sure and download our weather app to where you can get access to the latest watches, warnings and radar. Also monitor our social media pages throughout the day for additional information.
Once the storm threat passes early Sunday all eyes will turn to the much colder air moving into the region. Will have another blog update later on the potential of some snowfall across the mountains Sunday night.