WOAY-TV (Oak Hill, WV): A few isolated showers have been moving through the region this morning, but that will be the least of our concerns in a few hours. Strong to severe thunderstorms could start forming ahead of the front as early as 10 AM. However, the most likely window of severe weather will range from 12 PM to around 10 PM. This is a wide window, but it takes into account storms forming ahead of the main line early in the afternoon and the main line itself moving in this evening.
The main concerns regarding today’s severe weather threat are damaging winds up to 70 miles per hour and localized flooding. There will be plenty of moisture and available energy to fuel the storms coming through, allowing storms to strengthen quite a bit later in the day. As a result, a Flood Watch has been issued for Fayette, McDowell, Nicholas, northwestern Pocahontas, Raleigh, and Wyoming counties until 2 AM tomorrow morning. The watch is posted below:
Aside from the wind and rain, hail and isolated tornadic activity are also in play. These threats are less likely, but cannot be ruled out. There will be a good amount of wind shear to work with as the front moves through. If a tornado does spin up, it would be weaker and brief. Hail will likely stay smaller, but a couple isolated bout of quarter-sized or larger hail is possible. It is important to stay weather aware and be prepared. As an aside, don’t fall for the hype across social media. We have you covered every step of the way.
The main line of storms is expected to arrive during the evening hours, which will affect the evening commute. This threat comes in the form of a squall line packing damaging winds and heavy rain, along with the other severe threats. These storms remain across the region until the early hours on Wednesday morning. We could see a resurgence of a few stronger storms with gusty winds and heavy rain in the morning, but they would be weaker than what we get today. Meteorologist Christian Boteler has the latest:
After the front passes through and storms dissipate later in the day on Wednesday, conditions will clear up for the end of the work week thanks to a high-pressure system to our north. Thursday will be especially gorgeous and comfortable as skies remain sunny and temperatures stick in the mid-70s. Friday gets a bit cloudier, but rain will return for the weekend. There will not be a major disturbance, but the disappearance of high pressure will allow isolated activity to form. Rain chances are much lower than today or tomorrow, reflecting the chance for isolated showers and storms from the weekend and into next week. Here’s the 7-Day Forecast:
