Area Forecast Discussion
Issued by NWS Knoxville/Tri Cities, TN

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617 FXUS64 KMRX 090702 AFDMRX Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Morristown TN 302 AM EDT Thu May 9 2024 ...New SHORT TERM, LONG TERM... .SHORT TERM...
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(Today and tonight) Issued at 300 AM EDT Thu May 9 2024 Key Messages: 1. Risk of severe weather remains into the early morning hours. All hazards remain possible, hail, heavy rain causing flooding, damaging winds and isolated tornadoes across mainly the southern half of the area. 2. The highest risk areas early this morning should be from I-40 southward, mainly the southern plateau, Southern Valley and southwest North Carolina. 3. Heavy rainfall with amounts of an additional 1 to 2 inches will put western and southern sections in a moderate risk from the excessive rainfall outlook over the western half of the forecast area this morning. Discussion. At 230 AM EDT the strong evening convection had moved south and southeast into Georgia and the Carolinas. However the final round of convection looks like it will push through the area the next 6 hours 06Z and 12Z. The severe threat has diminished but during this last round a line of thunderstorms has formed over western Tennessee with other discrete cells out ahead of it moving into middle Tennessee. The biggest threat area will be the southern plateau and southern TN Valley where instabilty is highest according to the short term models. The HRRR still shows this line move rapidly east southeast between about 08 and 13Z. The current tornado watch will expire at 400 AM EDT for the southern third but a new watch may be put across the same area. Another big concern will be flooding as most areas have seen 1.5 to over 3 inches the past 24 hours. An Additional 1 to 2 inches is possible over the southern third of the area as this line moves through. So flash flooding will be a threat until mid morning. The Flood Watch will continue until 12Z this morning. 6 hour FFG is generally 1 to 2 inches across the areas that have received the higher totals and maybe lower with tonight`s rainfall. There are a few isolated areas with FFG as low as low as 0.5" in 6 hours. Showers and storms should generally exit the forecast area this morning between 12 and 15z. A few showers and isolated storms may linger through mid afternoon or early evening across northeast Tennessee and southwest Virginia. Mostly dry conditions are forecast areawide tonight but some showers may move in before 12z Friday as a shortwave will move southeast in the northwest flow behind the cold front.
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&& .LONG TERM...
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(Friday through Wednesday) Issued at 300 AM EDT Thu May 9 2024 Key Message: 1. Cooler weather late this week and into the weekend behind the cold front late THursday. 2. Lingering showers possible Friday with shortwaves moving through the northwest upper flow. A quick shortwave may bring some showers and thunderstorms Saturday with the highest chance northern half of the area. 3. Drier weather expected Sunday and Monday with a gradual warming trend. Chance of showers increases Tuesday and Wednesday. Discussion. Behind the cold front Thursday, cooler and drier air will arrive across the region within the northwest upper flow. Troughing and colder air aloft will result in some diurnal convection Friday afternoon with a limited potential for thunderstorms. A stronger shortwave is expected to move through the upper level northwest flow Saturday with scattered showers and thunderstorms possible Saturday afternoon, with the highest chance for precipitation across our northern counties through southwest Virginia. Ridging begins to build Sunday and Monday with drier weather and a gradual warming trend into early next week. Chances of rain begin to return Monday night and Tuesday as an upper low develops over the southern plains and then moves into the lower Mississippi Valley and western Tennessee Valley Wednesday.
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&& .AVIATION... (06Z TAFS) Issued at 115 AM EDT Thu May 9 2024 VFR conditions at all sites now but anticipate lower ceilings and visibilities late tonight and early Thursday morning with showers and thunderstorms continuing to move from west to east across east TN. Any thunderstorms passing over a terminal could produce gusty and erratic winds that differ from a more south to southwest wind. Will have improving conditions by early afternoon Thursday from north to south as rain moves out. Gusty southwest winds will begin after the cold front moves through in the afternoon. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
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Chattanooga Airport, TN 86 62 78 52 / 70 10 10 0 Knoxville McGhee Tyson Airport, TN 81 59 73 49 / 80 20 30 0 Oak Ridge, TN 83 58 73 48 / 70 20 30 0 Tri Cities Airport, TN 77 57 69 44 / 80 30 50 10
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&& .MRX WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... NC...Flood Watch until 8 AM EDT this morning for Cherokee-Clay. TN...Flood Watch until 8 AM EDT /7 AM CDT/ this morning for Anderson- Bledsoe-Blount Smoky Mountains-Bradley-Campbell-Claiborne- Cocke Smoky Mountains-East Polk-Grainger-Hamblen-Hamilton- Hancock-Hawkins-Jefferson-Johnson-Knox-Loudon-Marion-McMinn- Meigs-Morgan-North Sevier-Northwest Blount-Northwest Carter- Northwest Cocke-Northwest Greene-Northwest Monroe-Rhea- Roane-Scott TN-Sequatchie-Sevier Smoky Mountains-Southeast Carter-Southeast Greene-Southeast Monroe-Sullivan-Unicoi- Union-Washington TN-West Polk. VA...Flood Watch until 8 AM EDT this morning for Lee-Russell-Scott VA- Washington VA-Wise. && $$ SHORT TERM...TD AVIATION...TD