A band of strong thunderstorms will blanket the South, Southeast, Ohio Valley, and southern mid-Atlantic on Friday bringing severe weather, potential flooding, and a few tornadoes; plus, Mother’s Day heatwave.
Severe storms stretch from South to southern mid-Atlantic, tornadoes possible
Thunderstorms will envelop a large portion of the eastern US on Friday, stretching from Texas along the Gulf and up the East Coast to New Jersey, while inland over the South, mid-South, and southern Ohio Valley.
Forecasters from the National Weather Service (NWS) are warning severe thunderstorms are possible over parts of Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, North Carolina, Tennessee, Kentucky, Ohio, West Virginia, and Virginia.
Severe weather, a few tornadoes possible
The Storm Prediction Center (SPC) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) issued a Level 3 enhanced risk of severe weather over the following areas on Friday: eastern Alabama; most of Georgia; eastern Tennessee; eastern and northern South Carolina; central, western, and northern North Carolina; southern and eastern Virginia.
A Level 3 severe weather risk is defined as numerous, widespread severe and intense storms with the possibility of likely significant wind damage, large hail between 1-2 inches, and a few isolated tornadoes.
A Level 2 slight risk of severe weather has been issued for the following areas on Friday: southeastern Louisiana, southern and eastern Alabama, the Florida Panhandle, southern and southeastern Georgia, central South Carolina, eastern and southern North Carolina, central Tennessee, eastern Kentucky, western and central Virginia, southern West Virginia, south-central Ohio.
A Level 2 severe weather risk is defined as scattered, isolated severe storms possible with the possibility of wind damage, large hail between 1-2 inches, and a low threat of 1-2 isolated tornadoes.
Potential flooding over Ohio Valley, mid-Atlantic, Midwest
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued the following flood-related weather alerts for three separate fronts on Friday.
In the Ohio Valley and mid-Atlantic: a flood watch has been issued for southwestern and eastern Ohio, northern Kentucky, western Pennsylvania, western and northern West Virginia, Washington, D.C., central and western Maryland, northern Virginia.
In the Midwest: a flood advisory for southeastern Kansas, eastern Oklahoma, northwestern Arkansas, southwestern and central Missouri.
In the upper Midwest: a flood advisory for northeastern North Dakota and northwestern Minnesota.
Mother’s Day record-setting heat wave possible
At least a third of the country could see well above average temperatures on Sunday, Mother’s Day, 2022, with as many as 120 record-high temperatures across parts of at least 13 states with the potential to tie or break the current mark. In some parts of Texas, the planes in the Midwest could see triple-digit heat, CNN reports.
The warmest areas will be in the nation’s midsection, over parts of the South and upper Midwest.
Snow returns
Meanwhile, most of the West will see below-average temperatures on Sunday with snow forecast to return over parts of Idaho, Montana, Wyoming and Colorado.
