Severe risk increasing

COLUMBUS, Mississippi (WCBI) – Overnight, the far western portions of our area have been upgraded to a level 3/5 risk for Sunday’s storms. The majority of our area remains in a level 2/5 risk.

TODAY/TONIGHT: Sunny for most of the day, just a touch cooler with highs around 50 degrees. Clouds will start to build in the evening and scattered showers are likely overnight through the morning hours. Winds increase overnight, coming from the southeast and gusting up to 20 mph. Overnight lows will be much warmer than last night, thanks to the cloud cover, bottoming in the low 40s.

SUNDAY: The morning and afternoon will continue to have scattered shower chances as a line of storms approaches from the west. The line of storms is the driver of the severe threat, moving into Mississippi in the afternoon. As it stands right now, wind damage is the main risk, but embedded tornadoes are also possible in the line. It doesn’t look overly likely anything develops ahead of the line, but if it does, that would carry a heavier tornado risk. The reason for the upgrade to level 3 is due to the wind damage concerns. Even outside of the thunderstorms, it will be very windy tomorrow, with gusts up to 30 mph from the SSE. Highs will crack into the low to mid 60s and temps will drop steeply after the line into the 50s/40s, then quickly in to the low 30s.

MONDAY: Much, much colder with afternoon highs in the upper 30s. It will be a shock to the system, so be prepared. Winds will shift from the WNW gusting to 30 mph, introducing wind chill concerns through the day and night. It will feel like its in the teens as you get up Monday morning.