We have activated a Met Office warning warning of the possibility of severe storms late Tuesday night into early Wednesday morning. A series of thunderstorms will develop overnight along a strong cold front. Strong winds and hail are the main concerns, but a brief tornado or two cannot be ruled out.
Hopefully we won't get warnings, but if we do, make sure you have at least two ways to get those alerts. Turn on WPSD Radar app notifications and turn on NOAA Weather Radio. Be sure to turn the sound on on these devices so you can hear these warnings as these storms will be moving in overnight
Storm time:
*9 PM to 12 AM: SEMO and S. IL may form isolated supercell storms. There's no guarantee they'll be able to catch fire at a very strong upper limit in the atmosphere, but if they do, there could be some large hail, along with the threat of tornadoes.
*Midnight to 2 AM: Storm group over SEMO and S. IL transitions into storm line along incoming cold front. Any storm that remains isolated could produce a tornado threat. As the storm condenses into a line, the main threat will be potentially damaging winds…but brief tornadoes are still a possibility.
*2 a.m. to 4 a.m.: A storm line crosses the Ohio River into Kentucky and extends back to Booth Hill, MO. There remains some strong winds and the threat of potential spinning tornadoes. The storm will weaken as it moves southeast, so the severe threat may be reduced as the storm approaches the Kentucky/Tennessee line.
Another record high is possible today ahead of tonight's storm. The current record for Paducah is 77° (1996). Temperatures today will likely be around 70 degrees, and if the sun breaks through the clouds, it could be closer to 80 degrees in some places.
Gusty winds will also be an issue today, with a wind warning in effect until 3am on Wednesday. Wind gusts could be as high as 30-40 mph in the late afternoon and evening.
Temperatures will drop sharply tomorrow morning as a cold front moves through the area tonight. Temperatures will be near 70 degrees in most areas by midnight, dipping into the upper 30s by dawn Wednesday. Wind chills will drop into the teens!
