Storms on Tap for the Southeast on Wednesday and Thursday

Posted: January 11, 2023 11:14 am

Just as the eastern and central portions of the country are dealing with snow and ice, the southern tier of the U.S. will be in the crosshairs of severe weather in the form of heavy rain and thunderstorms. Is your area in the line of fire and when can you expect these hazards to fire up? Read on for all of the details.

Storms in the Forecast for the South Starting Late Wednesday

It will feel more like spring in some parts of the South as mild air moves into the region from the Gulf of Mexico. This warm air will also pack a good amount of moisture that will merge with the energy coming from the jet stream to create strong storms and high winds. You can expect these conditions to fire up late Wednesday and continue through the day and night Thursday.

The storms will first ignite across the eastern part of the southern Plains and into the lower Mississippi Valley beginning late Wednesday. This timing could translate to an early wakeup call and messy morning commute for some people in the impact zone.

Most areas will escape with heavy rain and strong winds. However, you cannot rule out an isolated tornado or hail with storms of this magnitude. As always, it is a good idea to keep smartphones charged and on throughout the night and to enable all severe weather alerts. You do not want to be caught off guard by storms that form when your household is asleep.

Storm Cells Moving East by Thursday

Forecasters are calling for the severe weather threat to move to the east on Thursday, putting cities such as Atlanta and Nashville at risk. A large stretch of interstates 10, 20, 40, 55, and 65 may be dealing with torrential rain and other impacts that make driving more challenging.

The heavy rain is forecast to hit a part of the country that has already been experiencing a surplus of moisture to start the year. For instance, both Birmingham and Atlanta have already recorded over an inch of rain more than what they typically see by this time of January. Atlanta experienced a mass flooding event on January 3 and 4 after over 2 inches of rain came down.

Flooding and Power Outages a Good Possibility

The storm system will usher in damaging winds along with the moisture. Because the grounds are already saturated beyond normal, the unstable soil will make it more likely that trees and power lines become vulnerable to the wind gusts. This may result in widespread power outages.

Even though the system is forecast to move through the Southeast quickly, the high amount of moisture associated with this weather maker may be enough to trigger flash flooding, particularly in urban areas.

While this latest storm system is not expected to hit with the same ferocity as the first severe weather event from last week, it is likely that millions of Americans will feel its impacts in some form. Forecasters caution that it only takes one twister or especially strong line of storms to cause significant amounts of damage.

The severe weather is predicted to move into the Carolinas and northern Florida by late Thursday. Friday is looking to be a calmer day for much of the Southeast. This will continue into the weekend, likely making cleanup efforts easier.

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