The National Weather Service in Knoxville issued a weather update early this morning, outlining the forecast for the upcoming days, including a potential for severe weather conditions today. According to the NWS update, residents in the Knoxville area can expect a 30 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms this afternoon, primarily after 3 pm, with a breezy southwest wind of 5 to 10 mph and gusts that could reach as high as 20 mph. The skies will mostly be sunny today with a high temperature rounding off near 82 degrees.
In the evening, the likelihood of showers and thunderstorms increases to 60%, with the stronger storms possibly arriving before 9 pm, right before the sky clears to partly cloudy with a calm wind transitioning from a southwest direction; overnight lows are expected to dip to around 64 degrees, and even though new rainfall amounts are projected to be less than a tenth of an inch, areas caught under thunderstorms could see higher totals. Moving into Friday, the forecast calls for mostly sunny conditions with a high near 89 and light winds picking up slightly in the afternoon, while Friday night brings a 30% chance of more showers and thunderstorms.
Over the weekend, the weather pattern shifts a bit, with a 60% chance of precipitation on Saturday, which may include showers and possibly a thunderstorm after 2 pm against a backdrop of mostly cloudy skies and a high near 81 degrees, while calm winds will stir from the west in the afternoon, Saturday night's forecast suggests a continued 60% chance of wet weather, specifically before 8 pm, followed by a slight chance of showers until the early morning hours under mostly cloudy skies and a low temperature settling around 59 degrees.
For those looking forward to some clearer skies, the NWS outlook is more encouraging for Sunday and the start of next week; Sunday will usher in mostly sunny conditions with the mercury climbing to a pleasant high of 77 degrees and a gentle breeze from the north. As nighttime falls, the area can expect mostly clear skies with lows dropping to around 52. The following days, spanning from Monday through Wednesday, are set to bring sunny skies with highs in the upper 70s to lower 80s, and overnight temperatures expected to hover in the low to mid-50s.
In their Hazardous Weather Outlook, the National Weather Service highlights the risk for today and tonight, stating, "Showers and thunderstorms will increase ahead of a cold front this afternoon and evening, a few storms may become strong to severe, posing a threat for isolated damaging wind gusts." For the period from Friday through Wednesday, the outlook calls for a low probability of widespread hazardous weather; furthermore, the statement outlines that spotter activation is not anticipated at this time, signaling some level of moderation in the severity of the expected weather disruptions for the region.
