Strong, severe storms are likely for parts of Wednesday and early Thursday

FIRST WEATHER WARNING DAY WEDNESDAY: Wednesday will be warm and windy for many hours, with a mix of clouds and sunshine across the Mid-South. But a widespread storm risk will occur well after sunset, which could include large, damaging hail, damaging winds and the risk of a tornado or two. Expect highs in the mid to upper 80s and deep moisture in the Gulf, followed by an aggressive southwesterly wind – gusting up to 40 mph at times – to fuel the storms. The main time will be between 8:00 p.m. – 4:00 a.mHowever, a few storms could develop well ahead of the main wave by late afternoon. The earlier storms could also lead to strong to severe storms. Stay tuned and we’ll keep you updated.

THURSDAY: After the storms, clearing is expected during the day. Temperatures will climb back toward the lower 80s during the afternoon hours. While the main storm threat will be gone, a secondary risk could emerge for areas south of I-40 for a few hours late Thursday evening as the last of the energy moves east. Cloud cover may continue into early Friday and lows will be in the 50s and 60s.

ADVANCED FORECAST: The pattern finally breaks towards the end of the week and becomes briefly cooler and calmer next weekend. Cooler air will prevail through Friday, with highs in the lower to mid 70s. The mid to upper 70s return with mostly sunny skies over Mother’s Day weekend, although a heavy shower or two could arrive – chances are still slim. Chances for isolated rain could increase during parts of next week with highs in the upper 70s and lower 80s.