Special Weather Statement, 4/28/10

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MEMPHIS TN
324 PM CDT WED APR 28 2010

...AN ACTIVE WEATHER PERIOD EXPECTED FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK WITH SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS... HEAVY RAIN... AND FLOODING POSSIBLE...

THE COMBINATION OF DEEP GULF MOISTURE... INSTABILITY... STRONG WIND SHEAR... UPPER LEVEL LOW PRESSURE DISTURBANCES... AND A STALLED FRONT WILL LEAD TO SEVERAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS... HEAVY RAIN... AND FLOODING FRIDAY THROUGH EARLY NEXT WEEK ACROSS THE ENTIRE MID-SOUTH.

THE FIRST ROUND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND NIGHT. THIS MAY BRING SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA WITH DAMAGING WINDS... LARGE HAIL... AND POSSIBLY TORNADOES. AREAS WEST OF INTERSTATE 55 /EASTERN ARKANSAS AND NORTHWEST MISSISSIPPI/ MAY HAVE THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE STORMS DURING THIS TIME FRAME. IN ADDITION... VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OR LOCALLY MORE ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE ENTIRE AREA... WHICH MAY CAUSE FLASH FLOODING.

ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED SATURDAY INTO SATURDAY NIGHT AS ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE DISTURBANCE AFFECTS THE AREA. VERY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING APPEAR TO BE THE BIGGEST HAZARDS WITH WIDESPREAD 1 TO 3 INCHES OR MORE OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE POSSIBLE AS WELL DURING THIS TIME FRAME... MAINLY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE 40 /SOUTHWEST TENNESSEE AND NORTH MISSISSIPPI/.

SUNDAY INTO EARLY NEXT WEEK... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY LINGER OVER THE AREA... PARTICULARLY OVER NORTH MISSISSIPPI... WITH HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLOODING EXPECTED TO BE THE MAIN CONCERN.

TOTAL AVERAGE RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE AREA ARE EXPECTED TO BE BETWEEN 3 TO 6 INCHES BETWEEN FRIDAY AND MONDAY MORNING... BUT LOCALIZED AREAS MAY EXPERIENCE MUCH HIGHER AMOUNTS. FLASH FLOOD WATCHES WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED.

RESIDENTS OF THE MID-SOUTH SHOULD PREPARE FOR POSSIBLE SEVERE WEATHER AND INCREASING FLOODING POTENTIAL. STAY ABREAST OF THE LATEST FORECASTS AND STATEMENTS REGARDING THIS POSSIBLY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION.

IF YOU DO NOT HAVE A WEATHER RADIO... THIS IS A GOOD TIME TO PURCHASE ONE. IN ADDITION... YOU SHOULD REVIEW SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH FLOOD SAFETY RULES... KNOW THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A WATCH AND A WARNING... AND BE READY TO PUT YOUR SAFETY PLANS INTO ACTION SHOULD SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING THREATEN YOUR AREA.

$$

MBS/EAP