Weather Authority Alert Day for Monday, August 14

A Weather Authority Alert Day is in effect from noon to 10:00 PM on Monday, August 14th. Our next strong cold front comes through driving showers and storms throughout the afternoon. Those storms have the potential to turn severe in each of our zones, but as of Sunday the front is not quite as intense as last Monday.

The Level 2 risk covers most counties that don’t border North Carolina

The morning starts on the calm side with showers and some downpours. It takes until noon for the storms to fire up with the worst weather between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM.

Storms are at their worst from 5:00 PM to 8:00 PM

By noon the first major waves of showers move in. Isolated downpours are the most common feature of the early afternoon.

Showers and isolated storms arrive by the early afternoon

By 5:00 PM a more organized line of storms stretching from northeast to southwest develops and moves through. Severe storms form on the leading edge of this line with rain that lingers behind it for around an hour.

Storms move from west to east with the most intense storms between 5:00 PM and 8:00 PM

The weather stays calmer after 8:00 PM, but pop-up showers and even some storms can develop through the night into Tuesday morning. After the sun rises on Tuesday the severe chances are limited.

Downpours and lightning get a second chance before sunrise on Tuesday

Damaging wind gusts are the strongest threat on Monday. Bring anything indoors that is liable to blow away, and be prepared for high wind gusts to break branches and cause power outages. Have a flashlight and battery ready before the storms arrive.

Hail has a chance to form, but the lower temperatures thanks to cloud cover early in the day holds the available energy down. That lower heat also keeps the tornado chance on the low side.

Wind is the biggest threat for most of the region

Rain totals are less than a quarter-inch for most of us. The systems that come through often move quickly preventing large rain totals from growing.

Rain totals are rather light with this system, and the flood risk is low

The wind threat is the most noticeable, but the flood and tornado risk can’t be ruled out. Isolated downpours can cause flooding on a local scale, and if enough energy builds north of US-460 some tornadoes could spin up.

While both the flood and tornado risks are low some isolated flooding or short-lived tornadoes can develop

The Level 2 risk extends well to our west and east. Storms have a hard time making it over the mountains into the Highlands and Roanoke zones, but the placement of this front includes them in the storm risk.

The Level 2 risk extends well to our west and east

The rest of the week stays on the calm side after this front comes through. Temperatures cool a few degrees with light shower chances.

Source: WSLS News 10