PUBLIC SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER NORMAN OK 0457 AM CDT FRI APR 10 2009 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED OVER PARTS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT... THE NWS STORM PREDICTION CENTER IN NORMAN OK IS FORECASTING THE DEVELOPMENT OF TORNADOES...LARGE HAIL...AND DAMAGING WINDS OVER PARTS OF THE TENNESSEE VALLEY AND SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. THE AREAS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE THIS ACTIVITY INCLUDE CENTRAL AND NORTHERN ALABAMA CENTRAL AND NORTHERN GEORGIA EASTERN MISSISSIPPI SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA EAST TENNESSEE SURROUNDING THE HIGHEST THREAT AREA...SEVERE STORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE FROM SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI NORTH AND EAST INTO PARTS OF KENTUCKY...SOUTHERN WEST VIRGINA...AND SOUTHERN VIRGINIA. THE INTENSE UPPER LEVEL STORM THAT PRODUCED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND EXTREME WILD FIRE CONDITIONS OVER THE LOWER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY AND SOUTHERN PLAINS LATE YESTERDAY WILL CONTINUE EAST ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY TODAY AND THE CAROLINAS TONIGHT. AT LOWER LEVELS AHEAD OF THE STORM......WARM AND INCREASINGLY MOIST AIR WILL MOVE RAPIDLY NORTHEAST INTO ALABAMA...GEORGIA...EAST TENNESSEE...AND PARTS OF THE CAROLINAS. AT THE SAME TIME...A SEPARATE BAND OF VERY STRONG JET STREAM WINDS WILL SPREAD EAST ACROSS MISSISSIPPI AND ALABAMA ON THE PERIPHERY OF THE UPPER STORM. THE COMBINATION OF STRENGTHENING WINDS AND INCREASING MOISTURE WILL CREATE AN ENVIRONMENT FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ROTATING THUNDERSTORMS CALLED SUPERCELLS AS DAYTIME HEATING FURTHER DESTABILIZES PARTS OF THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES LATER TODAY. THE EXPECTED INTENSITY OF THE STORMS...AND THEIR LIKELY LONGEVITY...SUGGESTS THAT SOME COULD YIELD STRONG TORNADOES...IN ADDITION TO VERY LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. MOST OF THE SEVERE WEATHER IS EXPECTED TO OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH EARLY THIS EVENING...BUT ISOLATED SEVERE STORMS MAY PERSIST THROUGH EARLY SATURDAY IN THE CAROLINAS. STATE AND LOCAL EMERGENCY MANAGERS ARE MONITORING THIS DEVELOPING SITUATION. THOSE IN THE THREATENED AREA ARE URGED TO REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER SAFETY RULES AND TO LISTEN TO RADIO...TELEVISION...AND NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES...WARNINGS...AND STATEMENTS LATER TODAY. ..CORFIDI.. 04/10/2009 |