Spring is coming quietly.
After a week of record-setting temperatures, a major winter storm affecting the Plains and Midwest is expected to arrive overnight on Sunday, March 15, and especially Monday, affecting the Mid-Atlantic states and parts of the Southeast, including St. Petersburg and the Tri-Cities area.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Storm Prediction Center is predicting widespread severe thunderstorms and torrential downpours that could cause flooding on Monday. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration said Sunday that tornadoes could be strong and particularly damaging, most likely moving from South Carolina to Maryland in the afternoon.
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“While damaging straight-line winds are the most likely severe weather hazard, the possibility of some tornadoes, including particularly strong ones, cannot be ruled out, particularly from the metropolitan areas near Baltimore and Washington, D.C., through Virginia and into North Carolina,” said AccuWeather Chief Meteorologist Jonathan Porter.
AccuWeather forecast map for Monday, March 16th.
For eastern and central Virginia, including Washington, D.C., and Richmond, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) upgraded the area to a Moderate Risk Level 4, with a 15 percent chance of tornadoes, some likely strong, as storms spread eastward from the Appalachians to the East Coast on Monday afternoon.
What to expect in the Three Cities of St. Petersburg
NOAA Storm Prediction Center March 15 map.
The National Weather Service in Wakefield has issued a hazardous weather outlook.
A few storms are possible after midnight before a strong cold front moves through the area Monday night, bringing with it a significant risk for severe thunderstorms, including potentially damaging winds and tornadoes.
National Weather Service Forecast
Sunday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 67 degrees.
Sunday night: Showers and thunderstorms before 4 a.m., then showers possible between 4 a.m. and 5 a.m., then light showers and thunderstorms after 5 a.m., with a low around 58 degrees. Wind gusts as high as 18 mph. The probability of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts will range from a tenth to a quarter of an inch, with higher amounts possible during thunderstorms.
on Monday: Showers and thunderstorms possible, some of which may be severe, after 7 a.m. The high temperature is near 74 degrees. Wind gusts as high as 36 mph. The probability of precipitation is 100%. New rainfall amounts between half an inch and three-quarters of an inch are possible.
Monday night: There may be showers before 2 a.m., then cloudy in the evening, then gradually clearing up, with a low around 30 degrees. Wind gusts could reach up to 30 mph. The probability of precipitation is 70%. New precipitation amounts between a quarter of an inch and a half inch are possible.
Virginia live weather radar
Virginia Weather Watches and Warnings
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Monique Calello is a reporter for The News-Leader/USA TODAY Network. Contact her at mcalello@newsleader.com.
This article originally appeared in the Staunton News-Leader: Petersburg weather forecast includes severe storms, tornadoes, cold
