ENTER DATELINE — Good Thursday morning! It's a windy and cloudy start to the day with wind gusts up to 30-40 mph ahead of storms moving in. Tornado Watches are issued for the western half of the Big Bend and southwest Georgia until 8:00 am.
A strong line of thunderstorms and heavy rain will reach western counties before sunrise, pushing east across the stateline region through the rest of the morning. The line will kick up even stronger wind gusts of 60 mph and can spin up a couple of tornadoes. The severe storm potential will be highest in the tri-state region, decreasing some for eastern zones. By mid-afternoon, breaks of sunshine are possible as the line of storms weakens further and pushes southeast. As a result, temps steady in the 60s will rise to the mid and upper 70s where the sky will be clearer.
There's better support for a drier setup over the weekend, but some areas of clouds and a chance for some showers remain in the Saturday weather forecast. More storms are possible by Tuesday and Wednesday.
A coastal flood warning will be in effect tonight through Thursday evening for the entire Big Bend coastline, as strong southerly winds can push water levels up to four feet over typically dry ground, especially at high tide.
As always, be sure to follow the ABC 27 First Alert Weather Team on Facebook and Twitter. Be sure to download the Storm Shield App to get watches and warnings delivered straight to your phone to stay updated on your forecast through the week. Get the app today: iPhone/iPad | Android.
