Severe storms move east: Large hail & a few tornadoes for Southeast

Seems like the east is getting some weather action to (almost) close off the work week. A round of strong to severe storms will affect parts of the Southeast Thursday into Friday morning. Hail, damaging winds, and a few tornadoes are possible.

A low-pressure system is traveling east and a strong cold front moves with it. Severe storms will likely form ahead of the cold front tonight across parts of the Tennessee Valley through Georgia and the Carolinas. There is an enhanced risk, meaning level 3 out of 5, of severe storms happening across eastern and central Alabama and northern Georgia. Large cities such as Atlanta and Birmingham are at risk of large hail, and a few tornadoes.

Strong winds could knock down trees, and power lines and cause damage and power outages. Make sure to keep your phones charged and near you as the storms will be moving through the area through the afternoon.

There is a tornado watch in effect for the northern half of Alabama and extreme northwestern Georgia through 5 p.m. ET. Parts of eastern Mississippi are also under a tornado watch, but here the risk for tornadoes will diminish before 5 p.m. ET. A tornado watch means that residents should be aware that conditions are favorable for tornadoes to develop. Please stay alert and know where you would go should a tornado warning be issued.

Severe storms will also be possible across the eastern two-thirds of Tennessee, southern Kentucky and southern Alabama, and Mississippi. The western Carolinas could also experience isolated severe storms. Large hail, between 1 to 1.5 inches in diameter could affect the Piedmont of the Carolinas by early evening.

The storms will have a weakening tendency after sunset, as they will lose their fuel source (aka the sun).

Much cooler air will settle in place across the Southeast after this cold front moves through. The Southeast will go from above-average temperatures, experienced earlier this week, to below-average temperatures. Temperatures in Tennessee will be around 10 degrees below average on Friday afternoon, staying between the mid to upper-30s.

Georgia through the northern half of Florida will also experience cooler than average temperatures with highs in the 50s and lower 60s on Friday afternoon. South Florida will have to wait until Saturday to experience highs in the low 60s.