Thursday, March 31, 2011

More spring weather to come: warmth and storms

It's been a cloudy and cold week so far for most of the area with temperatures having a difficult time getting anywhere close to normal of late.  This after last week's well-above-average temps and nice spring weather.  The big picture is about to change again as the upper-level pattern undergoes transition and we get back to a more spring-like regime.  This will mean warmer weather, but also greater chances of strong to severe thunderstorms as cold fronts will be more potent and will be able to work with warmer and moister conditions as they arrive.

I expect conditions to moderate Friday and last right through the weekend as temps climb to near 70 on Saturday and near 80 on Sunday. The next big weather-maker (following tonight's rain-producing disturbance) will be a strong cold front and low pressure system that will affect the Mid-South on Monday and Tuesday of next week. Though it is still several days out, we are definitely looking at the possibility of all modes of severe weather with this system, especially Monday night.  We'll continue to keep you updated through the next few days, but just bear in mind that while temperatures near 80 might feel very nice, at this time of year they are likely to mean the threat of severe weather.

Severe weather outlook areas - day 5 is Monday and Monday night.
For the complete MWN Forecast, click here.  It's also a good time to sign up for severe weather alerts from MWN. You can sign up for any metro county by clicking here or just follow @shelbyalerts on Twitter for alerts specific to Shelby County.  Lastly, don't forget to download our new iPhone app!  It's got the latest conditions, MWN Forecast, StormView Radar and more packed into the convenience of an iPhone.

----
Stay up to date on the latest weather conditions and forecast by checking out MemphisWeather.net on Facebook and Twitter and our BRAND-NEW iPhone app!

No comments: