Rain Chances & Strong Winds Return Late Thursday, Light Mix Possible

Windy Wednesday:

Along with yesterday's rain chances, gusty winds made their presence know during the later half of the day. Observations from local airports showed that a majority of the region registered peak wind gusts of 35-40 mph. As Tuesday & Wednesday's storm system continued to pull away, winds and rain chances dropped significantly overnight. While a majority of our daylight hours Thursday remain dry, rain chances make a quick return as we inch towards sunset. 

Next Rain Chance:

Conditions during the morning hours remain dry, under a mostly cloudy sky. Aside from an isolated afternoon shower, rain chances should hold off until about 5-6PM. As rain pushes into the area from the south, winds will also be ramping up. While gusts could approach 20-25 mph during the evening commute, gusts up to 40 will be possible as we inch closer to midnight. The breeze will help usher in colder air, enough so that temps will drop down towards the freezing mark early Friday morning. This may result in a light mix before this event fully comes to an end around sunrise. Rainfall amounts will all depend on the track of the surface low, but it looks like totals will be highest the further south and southeast you live. No thunderstorm activity is expected with tonight's rainfall.

High Risk Down South:

While we aren't expecting any thunderstorms locally, that can't be said for areas across the deep south. The same area of low pressure that brings our rain chances tonight will also be responsible for a significant threat for severe weather across Mississippi, Alabama, and into southern Tennessee. For the second time this month, the Storm Prediction Center has seen enough evidence to warrant a "high risk" (level  5 of 5) for severe weather. It's the first time since 1991 that two "high risk" days were issued during the month of March. The first if you remember was issued on St. Patrick's Day last Wednesday. A tornado outbreak is expected, with several significant, long-track tornadoes possible. If you know anyone who lives in these areas, please make sure they stay on high alert today and have their severe weather plan ready to go.