Tracking severe storm risk Friday afternoon
The afternoon hours look to be the stormiest, putting Pirate tailgating in jeopardy
A strong cold front remains on target to move into eastern NC Friday afternoon and evening. Thunderstorms ahead of and along the front will have the fuel necessary to become severe and produce damaging wind gusts. Due to this severe storm potential, we have declared Friday a First Alert Weather Day.
The main threat will be damaging straight-line wind gusts that could exceed 60 mph. Areas between I-95 and Highway 17 will be in the primary threat zone, while areas east of Highway 17 will likely see storm strength slowly decreasing as the storms head coastward. Heavy downpours and frequent lightning are likely as well. The risk for tornadoes and hailstones is low.
The primary window for severe storms will be between 2 p.m. (when the front moves over I-95) and 7 p.m. The storms are projected to be moving over Highway 17 by around 6 p.m., when the cooling air starts to stabilize the atmosphere. Without the heat of the sun, the storms will slowly weaken between 6 p.m. and 9 p.m.
Heavy downpours will reduce visibility on the roads during the evening commute. The flash flood threat, however, will be low, as the rainfall potential will be from 0.5″ to 1.0″. A few isolated areas could see upwards of 1.0″ to 3.0″.
The front will move off the coast Saturday morning, bringing cooler and drier conditions for the weekend. A steady northerly breeze will help temperatures remain cooler.
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