An isolated tornado and other complications from wind could happen in Hampton Roads today as bad weather moves into the area.
According to the National Weather Service, a cold front moving toward the Appalachian Mountains, an area of deep low pressure has been moving over the Mississippi River Valley, and the warm front is moving north. Ahead of the cold front, warm and moist air streaming in from the nearby Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico will interact “more vigorously” with a jet stream to develop and expand the showers and thunderstorms. It will first move across the Southeast and the Carolinas this morning, followed by the mid-Atlantic during the day and into New England tonight.
At this point, Hampton Roads has already had at least an inch of rain, and more could be on the way. South Hampton Roads and the Peninsula are expected to each receive another 1-1.5 inches. Minor flooding is forecasted in low-lying and poor drainage areas.
“(The area) could see showers and a few thunderstorms develop or move into southeast portions of the area as early as late morning, but the main threat for stronger storms appears to be between noon and 5 p.m.,” according to the weather service.
Wind advisories are in effect until 10 p.m. Damaging wind gusts of 50-65 mph could down trees and power lines, resulting in scattered power outages in Hampton Roads. An isolated tornado is possible in southeast Virginia and northeast North Carolina. Meteorologists are encouraging residents to secure Christmas lights and yard decorations, since wind speeds outside of storms could still reach 40 mph.
“Lastly, expect temperatures to quickly drop into the 40s in 1-2 hours following the (front). In fact, western portions of the area could be in the 40s as early as late afternoon,” the weather service reported. “Winds diminish overnight and precipitation quickly ends from west to east between 8-11 p.m., but it will remain breezy near the coast.”
The National Storm Prediction Center said thunderstorms are likely from the Carolinas to the southern part of New England. The East Coast has a “slight” risk for severe weather, or a 2 out of 5 on its scale. More inland areas west of I-95 have a “marginal” risk, or 1 out of 5.
Eliza Noe, eliza.noe@virginiamedia.com