Severe storms to target Florida to Virginia Wednesday
Severe thunderstorms will rumble across the southern United States towards the Atlantic coast, bringing the risks of flooding rain, damaging winds and tornadoes.
A multiday outbreak of severe weather will persist into Wednesday as storms rumble across the southern United States and toward the Atlantic coast.
A potent storm system in the Plains earlier this week blasted the northern tier of the country with snow and generated violent storms across the South. Monday's thunderstorms produced dozens of wind and hail reports across Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and far-northeastern Texas.
The threat of severe weather persisted Tuesday morning as several tornado warnings were issued in Louisiana and Mississippi. Elsewhere, numerous roads across Kentucky were flooded, resulting in multiple water rescues.
This radar image, captured at mid-afternoon on Wednesday, Jan. 4, 2022, shows that thunderstorms have pushed to the Atlantic coast. (AccuWeather)
After severe storms developed and tracked across the Tennessee Valley to the Mississippi Gulf Coast through Tuesday evening, more turbulent weather is expected Wednesday, AccuWeather meteorologists say.
The threat of thunderstorms will extend from the Florida Gulf Coast into the central Appalachians Wednesday morning. As the day progresses, severe thunderstorms could develop from the Florida Panhandle to as far north as central Virginia during the afternoon and evening hours.
Some of the major cities most likely to be hit by robust thunderstorms Wednesday afternoon and evening include Raleigh and Fayetteville, North Carolina; Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Savannah, Georgia.
The overall concentration of severe thunderstorms Wednesday is likely to be sparser when compared to Monday and Tuesday, according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski. Many areas may experience a few downpours, along with gusty winds and a few rumbles of thunder.
However, a small number of towns and cities can still be hit by a severe thunderstorm Wednesday. These storms will be capable of producing damaging wind gusts as high as an AccuWeather Local StormMax™ of 75 mph and torrential downpours that could lead to ponding on roadways or even flash flooding. Meteorologists say it's not out of the question that the severe thunderstorms could also produce a couple of tornadoes Wednesday afternoon and evening.
Motorists along major highways in the region, such as portions of interstates 10, 20, 40 and 95, should be cautious of these hazards since they could lead to traffic slowdowns.
The risks of wet weather, thunderstorms and slowed travel could even extend into the Northeast Wednesday.
A strong surge of warm air is preceding the dose of wet weather in the Northeast. High temperatures Wednesday could be as much as 20 degrees above normal for the area, and some locations could challenge records.
A few rumbles of thunder could reach as far north as Pennsylvania and New Jersey Wednesday, an area that includes major cities such as Philadelphia, Baltimore and Washington, D.C. While thunder is not unheard of in the month of January in the Northeast, it's much less common than across the southern U.S.
Behind the wet weather, temperatures across the eastern U.S. are expected to fall back to normal January levels. AccuWeather meteorologists say the next opportunity for rain could come as early as the weekend.
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