A Break from Storms

We had a nice break from the crazy spring storms, didn't we? Unfortunately, they are back, and we are in for some crazy weather.

Tri-State in a Moderate Risk Friday

The real threat is Friday, though. We have been placed in a 'Moderate" Risk for severe weather.

The National Weather Service says a significant and dangerous severe weather outbreak is expected this afternoon and evening. Supercells are likely to form and then develop into a powerful line of storms later in the day, moving east to northeast.

Conditions are looking pretty volatile, similar to some of the big severe weather events we’ve seen in recent years. Stay alert for the potential of strong tornadoes, widespread damaging winds, and really large hail.

How Bad Will They Be?

The National Weather Service has warned that tornadoes are a possibility. Right now, the main concern is large hail, but they’re closely watching for any changes. “The ongoing storms primarily appear to be a large hail threat, but we are monitoring for wind and tornado and will issue appropriate warnings if they change characteristics.”

Chief Meteorologist Wayne Hart from Eyewitness News 25 added more context, saying storms will start developing or moving in from the west after 2 p.m. He says this round could include clusters of supercells with the highest chance of producing a strong, long-track tornado, along with hail possibly as big as baseballs.

Read More: Forecasters Say Indiana, Kentucky, and Illinois Will Probably Dodge the Summer’s Big Disaster

When Will the Storms Hit?

The National Weather Service in Paducah covers a pretty large area, stretching from Missouri to eastern Indiana and central Kentucky. Today’s storm system will move eastward and is expected to hit the western part of their coverage area starting around 2 p.m.

Unfortunately, this is shaping up to be another particularly dangerous severe weather day. The first graphic shows a timeline for the main and most likely line of storms. However, there will be some subtle lift happening throughout the day, which means storms could pop up earlier. We could see a few strong to severe storms with tornado potential as early as 1 to 3 p.m.

When Will the May 16 Storms Hit the Tri-State?

Our friend, Chief Meteorologist Wayne Hart at Eyewitness News 25, posted that the storms probably will hit our area after 2PM.

Storms will begin to develop and/or move in from the west after 2pm. This wave will include clusters of supercells that will have the greatest potential to produce a strong long-track tornado along with extremely large hail (up to baseball-size). These will be followed by a developing line of storms across our western counties around 5pm that will have the greatest potential to produce widespread damaging winds of 70-75 mph along with tornadoes & large hail as it moves east-southeast across #tristatewx clearing our southeast counties from 8-10pm.

A more detailed look at timing.

How to Get Prepared

I always remind people to download the app. When severe weather hits, we switch over to our weather partners at Eyewitness News 25. Wayne does a great job not just showing visuals but also explaining everything clearly for our radio audience. We’ll be streaming both audio and live video, so make sure to turn on your notifications. That way, you’ll get an alert if we switch to wall-to-wall coverage. Plus, if your power goes out, you’ll still be ready.

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