Powerful storm system across the East will impact the Rock Hill region’s weather
A powerful storm system is expected to sweep across the eastern United States over the next 36 hours, and forecasters say it could bring severe thunderstorms and even tornadoes Friday to the Rock Hill region.
Meteorologists say the highest risk for stormy weather will be Friday afternoon and evening.
“Conditions will be sufficient for the development of scattered strong to severe thunderstorms,” said National Weather Service meteorologist Jake Wimberley.
Forecasters say a deep low pressure system is expected to move from Texas and Arkansas early Friday across western Tennessee and into Kentucky and southern Ohio.
The highest likelihood of severe storms and tornadoes is expected in western Tennessee, Kentucky and southern Ohio, meteorologists said. But the threat of severe weather will extend into the western Carolinas.
Showers fell Thursday across the Rock Hill region, and more showery weather is expected Thursday night and early Friday.
Forecasters say there could be a lull in the precipitation Friday morning, before showers and storms return sometime in the afternoon.
“Damaging winds appear to be the primary threat with these thunderstorms, with a secondary threat of tornadoes, which would most likely be short-lived,” Wimberley said.
Forecasters say several of the conditions needed for severe storm development will be present Friday. There will be strong atmospheric shear, which means winds will be blowing from different directions at various levels of the atmosphere.
National Weather Service meteorologist Scott Krentz said there also will be very strong winds aloft.
What’s unclear, meteorologists say, is how much atmospheric instability will be present. If the atmosphere becomes sufficiently unstable, that could allow thunderstorms to carry some of the strong winds to the surface, forecasters say.
Regardless of storm development, forecasters say strong and gusty winds are a good bet Friday evening and night. Those winds, which could gust near 40 mph at times, will be due to the strong counter-clockwise circulation around the big low pressure system.
The good news?
Much better weather is forecast for the rest of the weekend.
Sunny skies and highs in the upper 60s are forecast both Saturday and Sunday. Winds will remain gusty at times Saturday, but calm conditions are forecast for Sunday.