Thunderstorms to Fire Across the Southeast, Northern Plains

Separate regions of severe thunderstorms will impact the Southeast and the northern Plains today.

A cold front will make it unusually far south for this time of year as it pushes into a warm, moist air mass in place across southern Georgia and northern Florida. Strong to severe thunderstorms will be possible in the area, with flooding also a concern there and amongst adjacent parts of the Southeast.

As if the Southeast is not enough of a concern, a secondary region of severe weather is possible across the Northern Plains, which have had to tackle severe weather nearly daily for the past several weeks. There, an upper-level disturbance will push over a hot and humid air mass and will spark strong to severe thunderstorms, with risks of damaging wind gusts up to 60 to 70 mph, hail, and even a couple of tornadoes.

The government's Storm Prediction Center has issued a Slight Risk (level 2 out of 5) for southern Georgia and adjacent areas of northern Florida. A separate Slight Risk area (again, a level 2 out of 5) is in place for western North Dakota, the northwest corner of South Dakota and much of eastern Montana as well as a small slice of northeastern Wyoming. Cities under this risk include Jacksonville and Tallahassee in Fla., Valdosta and Thomasville in GA., Baker and Glendive in Mont., as well as Tioga and Bowman in N.D.

Heavy rain will occur across parts of the Southeast, centered around southern Georgia and northern Florida but also including southern South Carolina and southeastern Alabama. Localized rain amounts of 1 to 3 inches will be common. Flood Watches are in effect across all the states mentioned. If a roadway is flooded, remember to "Turn Around, Don't Drown!"

Be sure to know the difference between a watch and a warning. A watch means that the conditions are in place to possibly produce severe weather conditions, while a warning indicates that those conditions are currently occurring. Be sure to have multiple ways to receive warnings, as storms will be occurring late tonight. Also, take caution if you are outdoors during a thunderstorm. Remember, “When Thunder Roars, Go Indoors!”