CHARLOTTE, N.C. — A cluster of thunderstorms capable of producing damaging winds, flash flooding, hail and lightning will move into the Charlotte area Thursday with the threat of severe weather in the Carolinas, Brad Panovich says.
The good news for the Charlotte metro is there has been a slight shift in the track, pushing the biggest threat of severe weather south of the Queen City, but there is still a chance of severe weather across the Charlotte area.
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"The risk is right on the edge of the North Carolina-South Carolina border," Panovich said. "I think it's going to be focused in the Midlands and the Upstate of South Carolina. As we go into tomorrow, that threat will shift further south."
By lunchtime, Panovich expects the storms to form between Knoxville, Tennessee, and Asheville, extending along Interstate 26 to Greenville, South Carolina. By the afternoon, Panovich says the storms will push south with the threat of strong winds and severe weather. Early afternoon sunshine and high dew points will only increase the intensity of storms that develop in the area.
"The bulk of this is going to be traveling pretty much down I-26," Panovich explained.
While the primary corridor for storms will be south of us, Panovich can't rule out isolated storms near Charlotte.
The biggest threats will be damaging straight-line winds, but there's also a risk for hail and flooding. Panovich says the tornado risk is low, but a similar environment produced a catastrophic EF-3 tornado east of Raleigh Wednesday.
"This is not the same kind of setup here," Panovich said. "But it's going to be straight-line winds, flash flooding, hail and lightning. That will be our primary concern today."
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