NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — A potent storm system will bring major wind to Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky on Tuesday and Wednesday. The wind gusts will persist both days, but there is a low-end severe weather risk on Tuesday evening. Be sure to stay weather alert as wind damage is possible across our region.
Even before the thunderstorms arrive, powerful winds could cause damage and power outages. A Wind Advisory is in effect for all of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky on Tuesday until 6 p.m. Wednesday. This is the main weather concern for this event. Counties east of Interstate 65 could be upgraded to a High Wind Warning.
On Tuesday, the wind gusts will gradually increase throughout the day. By evening and night with some storms, gusts could exceed 50 mph.
From late Tuesday afternoon through about midnight Wednesday, a line of thunderstorms will arrive. Gulf moisture and instability are limited, but it is possible to spur up enough energy to produce a few severe storms. Because of this, the Storm Prediction Center has issued a severe weather risk area that includes all of Middle Tennessee and Southern Kentucky. Most of the area is under a Marginal Risk (level 1/5), with far southwestern counties (Decatur, Giles, Lawrence, Perry, Wayne) under a Slight Risk (level 2/5). Whether you are located in the green or yellow area, you need to be weather alert on Tuesday.
The main threat will be damaging wind gusts over 60 mph. The threat of tornadoes is lower, but still needs to be taken seriously. This will start late afternoon and go into early Wednesday.
The line of thunderstorms will begin moving into the western counties of Middle Tennessee as early as 3 p.m. Tuesday. They will move west to east and should be out of here by the early hours of Wednesday morning. Click through the slide show below for the hour-by-hour timing.
After the storms move out, we will still have wind gusts of more than 30 mph on Wednesday, and the Wind Advisory continues until 6 p.m. Wednesday. The winds will be out of the west to the northwest, and that will cause temperatures to be cooler on Wednesday.
A few showers, along with some snow showers, will occur on Wednesday afternoon and evening. Accumulation is not expected. Temperatures start in the 40s to low 50s early, but fall to the 40s and 30s in the afternoon. The added wind will make it feel like the 20s!
In summary, we will be weather alert for both Tuesday and Wednesday, primarily for wind gusts over 30 mph (and at times even higher). Tuesday evening into early Wednesday, there could be a few strong to severe storms, but our weather environment lacks great Gulf moisture and instability. Despite sufficient moisture, there will still be a few strong storms. On Wednesday, temperatures fall and the wind gusts continue to over 30 mph at times. Showers in the afternoon may have some snow showers for the higher elevations in eastern areas.
Check back in with the WKRN Weather Authority team for further updates.
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