WOAY-TV (Oak Hill, WV): A storm complex producing damage in the Midwest will indirectly produce a few gusty storms in our area later today.
9 AM TUESDAY, JULY 16:
Chief Meteorologist Chad Merrill provides an update on the short-term, longer-range forecast and drought status with our radio partner, Lake Country 95.7, 3WS:
11 PM MONDAY, JULY 15:
OVERVIEW: Severe thunderstorms producing extensive damage in the Upper Midwest will race towards the best available atmospheric energy and pressure drops in Indiana, Kentucky and Tennessee overnight (see images below).
The ongoing drought is limiting the instability in southern West Virginia thanks to the arid environment generating low dew points, so we are not expecting these storms to plow through our area overnight.
However, the storms will leave a large rain-cooled environment to our west in the Tennessee Valley on Tuesday. As the sun returns Tuesday, a distinct boundary between that rain-cooled air and our hot temperatures will set off widely scattered thunderstorms in eastern Ohio and western Kentucky.
Our temperature will hit about 88-90 degrees by 2-3 p.m. The best risk for a gusty storm is along and west of Route 19 on Tuesday between 3-8 p.m. Any storm will produce localized wind damage. Not everyone will see storms (we are not expecting a squall line to produce widespread damage). Another axis of instability will develop in southwest Virginia and Tazewell and Mercer county have a risk to see a gusty storm at the same time.
These storms will move very fast, so any one storm will only be over one location for 10 minutes and the threat is gusty winds. Rain amounts in any one location Tuesday will not exceed 0.25″.
WEDNESDAY AND BEYOND: The approaching cold front will bring everyone rain Wednesday afternoon and evening (half inch or less) followed by a transition to cooler weather for the remainder of the week.
