Marginal Severe Thunderstorm Threat this Afternoon and Evening

Scattered to numerous thunderstorms will develop across the western Carolinas and northeast Georgia this afternoon and evening. There is a Marginal Risk of severe thunderstorms for most of the area (darker green shaded area on cover photo.)

Thunderstorms will begin to develop along the Blue Ridge Mountains between 1 and 3 pm EDT this afternoon. Coverage of the storms will spread to the foothill and Piedmont counties through late afternoon into early this evening. The storms will gradually diminish from 9 pm EDT to midnight.

Numerous strong thunderstorms are possible, and a few may become severe. Damaging wind gusts will be the main threat, but large hail the size of quarters will be possible as well. Any thunderstorms repeatedly affecting the same locations could produce localized flooding given the expected heavy rainfall rates in the stronger storms. Any thunderstorm can produce deadly cloud-to-ground lightning.

Thunderstorms may be more scattered in nature east of the mountains, but the wind potential will be greater with any storms that form there. Given the recently dry conditions, any flooding will be strongly dependent on locations seeing training (or repeating) thunderstorms. 

Rowan County Weather will continue to monitor the models and radar to keep you up to date on any storms that may develop and move into the county and the area.