A strong late-winter storm will be snarling travel across much of the Southeast Wednesday and Thursday as it dumps significant snow and ice from Georgia to the Carolinas. Further south, thunderstorms and heavy rain are likely in parts of Florida Wednesday evening as a strong cold front moves through. There is even a marginal risk of severe weather with some of the thunderstorms, something WRUF Weather will be watching closely over the next 24 hours and leading up to the event.
- Mild and dry through midday Wednesday (temps in 60′s and 70′s)
- Showers and thunderstorms likely Wednesday evening
- Breezy and much colder Thursday (wind chills all day in the 30′s and 40′s)
A widespread outbreak of severe weather is not expected with Wednesday night’s front in North-Central Florida. However, the dynamics and rotation aloft are more than sufficient to warrant the possibility of a few cells producing minor wind damage or small hail. The exact timing of the front and how warm and unstable our atmosphere becomes ahead of it will be the key factors in the severe potential. The greatest chance for severe thunderstorms capable of strong winds, hail, or even an isolated tornado is across Putnam, Marion, and Citrus counties. In addition to the thunderstorm activity, a brief period of heavy rain with blinding downpours will occur as the front is moving through overnighrt. WRUF Weather will be monitoring conditions closely and post an update as the situation becomes clearer.
BRIEF BLAST OF BITTER WIND CHILLS
The storm system is moving fast, but as it strengthens to our east it will pull down a blast of Canadian air in its wake. Temperatures are likely to fall abruptly before sunrise Thursday morning into the upper 30’s and 40’s, then only rise into the 50’s by afternoon. Gusty north winds Thursday morning will push the wind chills into the upper 20’s and 30’s for the early morning hours, and those same winds will keep it feeling like the 40’s nearly all day. A light freeze is possible Thursday night in the Suwannee River Valley as the winds calm and the skies clear. This blast will be brief, however, as temperatures will begin warming again on Friday.