We’ve gone from intense heat to intense smoke and haze so far this week. And now the attention turns to the potential for intense thunderstorms to start the weekend on Saturday. That potential includes thunderstorms that can produce damaging wind gusts, hail, flooding downpours, and even an isolated tornado or two.
Severe weather is not a guarantee area-wide, rather the ingredients will be in place for several rounds of potentially strong to severe thunderstorms, one Saturday morning to midday, and another later Saturday afternoon and evening, with a drier lull in between the two rounds.
Damaging winds are the main severe threat, with 60+mph wind gusts possible in any severe storms from either the morning or the late day activity. Power outages and tree damage are possible in areas that experience the strongest wind gusts.
In addition to winds, there is an elevated risk of a strong tornado (EF2), as well as a threat for some hail. And any thunderstorm, severe or not, can produce frequent lightning and heavy downpours.
Flood watches are in effect for Saturday for most of the area for the potential for 1 to 3 inches of rain. While many of us are still in a drought and need the rain, 1 to 3 inches of rain in an hour or two is too much rain too quickly, and can cause flash flooding.
While it won’t rain all or even most of Saturday, and not everyone will see severe weather, Saturday is a day you’ll want to stay weather aware. Be sure to listen to WFMZ-TV 69News, the 69News weather channel, and our 69News StormCenter App for your mobile device, which is free and provides the latest radars, watches and warnings, and forecasts.
One round of severe weather is possible from mid-morning to early afternoon, say roughly from 8am to 1pm, and another that is possible later in the day, say from 4pm to 10pm. Keep in mind these are approximate times, and can and probably will change. Also remember that how strong (or weak) the first line of storms is earlier in the day can directly impact how strong or weak the second line becomes.
In addition to the severe threat, we’ll still have to contend with the leftover haze and smoke from the most recent batch that peaked in terms of poorest air quality Thursday and Thursday night. What’s left of that batch will move back through the area tonight into early Saturday. However, a shift in wind from the south and the multiple rounds of rain should finally improve air quality area-wide later Saturday and especially later in the weekend. How thick the smoke and haze are Saturday can also impact thunderstorm development, yet another wild card in an already complex Saturday forecast.
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