Severe weather outbreak Thursday
Chris Dolce, Lead Meteorologist, The Weather Channel
Apr. 1, 2009 2:17 pm ET
A developing storm system east of the Rockies will impact areas from the Plains to the East Coast through Friday.
The storm is spreading snow through the Rockies today, bringing a round of snow to the Denver metro area this afternoon and evening. A winter weather advisory is in place for 2 to 6 inches.
The storm will intensify quickly tonight over the Southern Plains and help pull moisture northward from the Gulf of Mexico. Some storms could turn severe tonight with mainly a hail threat in portions of eastern Oklahoma, northeast Texas and western Arkansas.
Thursday, severe storms may be on going in the morning across portions of eastern Oklahoma and eastern Texas. Storms with tornadoes, large hail and damaging winds will then sweep eastward across the lower-Mississippi Valley into portions of Tennessee and Alabama. Some severe storms will also be possible farther north from southern Missouri to western Kentucky and southwest Indiana. Cities and surrounding areas that should closely monitor the situation Thursday include Memphis, Tenn., Jackson, Miss., Tupelo, Miss., and Birmingham, Ala.
By Thursday night, some severe thunderstorms may spread from southeast Alabama across southern Georgia into eastern South Carolina.
A heavy rain and flood threat will continue in portions of southern Georgia and northern Florida where some 4 inch rainfall amounts have already been recorded since Tuesday. This is on top of heavy rains that fell last week over portions of these areas. Additional widespread rain amounts of 3 inches or more will be possible through Thursday with locally 5 inch or more amounts possible.
On the northern end of the system, rain and wind will spread out of the Central Plains and mid-Mississippi Valley impacting Kansas City, Mo. and Wichita, Kan. early in the day. From there, the rain and wind will spread through the Ohio Valley and Great Lakes through Thursday night impacting locations such as Chicago, Ill. and Cincinnati, Ohio. Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches will possible in portions of the Midwest.
The system will eventually reach the East Coast on Friday with rain and gusty winds expected near the Great Lakes and across the Northeast, while scattered thunderstorms are possible along the Mid-Atlantic and Southeast Coasts. By Saturday, only a few showers in Northern New England and northern New York State are expected.
