Rain to Advance to the East on Thursday and Friday

Posted: May 26, 2022 3:44 pm

Hot and Stagnant Air Prompts Air Advisory in Phoenix

It will be a tale of two opposite weather patterns for the eastern and western half of the nation on Thursday and Friday. While the rain and stormy conditions that have been hanging out in the Midwest this week shifts farther to the east on Thursday, the hot and dry conditions will continue in the Southwest. Although the weather patterns are entirely different, they each come with their own set of threats.

Slow-Moving Storm Crawls to the East on Thursday

A stubborn and slow-moving line of storms is continuing its crawl to the east throughout the week. While it was the Mississippi Valley that saw the bulk of the threats on Wednesday, it will be the Ohio and Tennessee valleys that will be under the gun on Thursday. This rain will likely extend as far as the southern Appalachians by the time Thursday comes to an end as the system sets its sights on the East Coast just in time for the Memorial Day weekend.

The storm cells will move to the east as hotter and drier conditions filter in behind the system across the Plains states. This warmth will provide the necessary fuel conditions to spark thunderstorms beginning in the afternoon hours on Thursday.

This threat will be concentrated in a zone that extends through a large part of the Interstate 65 corridor stretching from the Great Lakes to the Gulf Coast. This includes a good portion of the southern Appalachians.

The primary risks with this storm system include strong winds and flash flooding. There will also be the threat of isolated tornadoes. The region most likely to see tornadic activity includes the area near Interstate 20 around the Gulf Coast, particularly the central parts of Georgia, Alabama, and Mississippi and to the south. This puts the large metro areas of Atlanta, Nashville, and Cincinnati under the threat of storms and flash flooding heading into Thursday night.

Looking Ahead to Friday

Planning on getting an early start on your holiday weekend? The storm will set off to the east on Friday, bringing more threats to areas on the other side of the Appalachians. This zone stretches from the Carolinas up into the central parts of Pennsylvania.

The primary threats will be flash flooding, damaging winds, hail, and isolated tornadoes, similar to the risks with the storms earlier in the week. There is also the chance that the storms could reach as far north as New York City on Friday. This chance will be dependent on how far northeast the warm and moist air moves up the coast.

Continued Hot and Dry in the Southwest

While the eastern half of the country is dealing with flooding and severe weather risks, the Southwest will be grappling with the dangers that come with unrelenting heat paired with little to no moisture in the forecast. Phoenix will be under brilliantly sunny skies with a high of 105 degrees in the forecast. Because of the pervasive heat and the stagnant air, the Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ) has issued an Ozone High Pollution Advisory for Maricopa County through Thursday. This includes the bulk of the Phoenix metropolitan area and its suburbs.

The high concentration of ozone in the atmosphere may present health risks to vulnerable individuals, including the elderly, children, and people with respiratory problems. Health experts recommend being careful when outdoors or when engaging in exercise. Residents of Maricopa County are also being asked to limit carbon emissions by carpooling, taking mass transit, or telecommuting.

Sharing is caring! Did you find this content useful? Feel free to bookmark or to post to your timeline for reference later!

Recent Posts