Friday storms
Friday/weekend storms
Storms have already caused flash flooding today, August 23, 2019 in northeastern Oklahoma, from Muskogee and surrounding areas to the Arkansas border. More flash flooding is possible in this region today, with a Flash Flood Watch posted from the Tulsa metropolitan area to Fort Smith and Fayetteville, Arkansas.
Scattered thunderstorms will keep rumbling the rest of the day and night from the Rockies to portions of the Gulf and East Coasts. They may produce heavy rain/flash flooding, small hail or gusty winds in any given spot. But they could become particularly intense/severe with large hail (one inch in diameter or bigger) and winds of 60 mph or greater from the Texas Panhandle to the Dakotas. Expect delays on the I-25 corridor from Denver to Cheyenne and Casper, I-90 from Billings to Rapid City, I-40 through Amarillo and I-70 through western Kansas. Watch out for potential roadblocks, especially on secondary roads and interstate ramps.
Another favorable region where many severe storms could strike is from North Carolina to the mid-Atlantic coast. Conditions will be dicey at times on the I-85 and I-95 corridors from Charlotte and Raleigh-Durham to Richmond, Norfolk, the Outer Banks and Virginia Beach.
The threats for severe storms and areas of flash flooding won’t end today. Regions at most risk this weekend will probably be from the Gulf Coast to the Dakotas, in addition to the Southeast coast where the chance of tropical cyclone development this weekend is pegged by the NHC at greater than 60 percent.
Tropical update
Tropical Storm Ivo, pronounced EYE-vo, is spinning in the eastern Pacific about 430 miles southwest of the southern tip of Baja California. Ivo has weakened last night; its maximum sustained winds went down from 65 mph overnight to 60 mph early this morning, then back to 65 mph as of 12:00 p.m. EDT today.
Ivo should weaken again on Saturday. Tropical storm-force winds extend up to 140 miles from the center of the storm. A Mexican Navy automated station at Clarion Island recently reported sustained winds of 62 mph and a gust of 76 mph.
Ivo poses no threat to any land assets. However, anyone on the West Coast of the U.S. awaiting ocean cargo coming from Asia or through the Panama Canal might have to deal with short-term delays as freighter crews will have to steer around the storm.
Have a great day, a wonderful weekend, and be careful out there!
