Cool & Rainy Weather Dances into the Region for St. Patrick's Day

St. Patrick's Day Forecast:

A maturing storm system over the southern plains will be responsible for not only a significant severe weather outbreak across the deep south, but rain chances for us here at home. 

Before we jump into the forecast, Happy St. Patrick's Day everyone. The day begins on a dry note, under mostly cloudy skies. On your way out the door, don't forget to put on an extra layer and also have your umbrella with you. Dry conditions early on will give way to increasing rain chances, with scattered showers moving in by the evening hours. During this stretch, northeast winds will also be on the increase, with gusts approaching 20-25 mph by the time you're ready to drive home. While stubborn cloud cover and the lingering snowpack from Monday's event held us in the upper 30s yesterday, we should be able to crack the 40° mark by this afternoon. 

Late-Day Rain Chances:

Guidance this morning shows our first chance for showers arriving around 4-5PM, starting out light and scattered in nature. As moisture increases, heavier and steadier rain moves in, continuing through midnight and into the early hours of Thursday morning. Aside from a few lingering showers, conditions across the area should dry out by mid-day, leading to a few peeks of sunshine by the afternoon. Most spots look to pick up around 1/4"-1/2" of rainfall, with areas south of I-80 receiving to 1" or more. Once the rain fully tapers off, the attention then turns to gusty winds. Winds are expected to remain out of the northeast, approaching 40 mph at times Thursday. This will definitely add a bit of chill to the air through the day with highs Thursday topping out in the mid-40s.

Severe Outbreak: 

As previously mentioned, the same area of low pressure will be responsible for a significant severe weather outbreak to occur across the deep south. The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) has placed a "rare" high risk (level 5 of 5) for severe weather. In fact, the last time the SPC used a "high risk" was back in May of 2019. All severe weather hazards are possible, including the potential a few long-track and intense tornadoes. The severe threat is expected to last into Wednesday night, with the threat shifting east across the southeast U.S by Thursday afternoon. If you know anybody in these areas, please make sure they...

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