Storms possible on anniversary of tornadoes
Weak cold front could be preceded by hearty thunderstorms.
A weak cold front expected to drag through Florida today could be preceded by more energetic weather, including the possibility of hearty thunderstorms on the one-year anniversary of two tornadoes that ripped through Palm Beach County.
There is a risk forecast for thunderstorms in areas from Brevard County south through the Keys just ahead of the sweeping tail of a low pressure system bringing snow and rain from Nebraska to the Northeast, according to the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma.
After 1 p.m. is the most likely time for the storms to build in South Florida, as daytime heating and soggy air mix to increase the chances for their eruption.
“At this point, it doesn’t look like we are looking at severe weather, but it’s not out of the question that there might be an isolated strong thunderstorm,” said Chris Fisher, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Miami.
One year ago the same region identified for thunderstorms today was under an “enhanced” risk for severe weather. The Storm Prediction Center’s “enhanced” category is the third most severe on a fivelevel scale.
The elevated alert level was for good reason. Two tornadoes embedded in a powerful squall line ahead of a cold front hit areas of The Acreage, Palm Beach Gardens and Juno Beach in the early morning of Jan. 23, 2017. The tornadoes blew out windows, mangled bleachers at The Benjamin School, damaged fences at William T. Dwyer High School and left about 14,000 people without power.
About eight mobile homes in Juno Beach sustained heavy damage, but no injuries were reported.
The same squall line spun up a
third tornado in Miami-Dade where four two-story apartment buildings sustained roof damage, leaving 13 people homeless.
Five tornadoes were reported Sunday in Missouri, Texas, Arkansas and Louisiana ahead of the same cold front reaching Florida today.
But today’s South Florida forecast includes nothing so severe, calling for an up to 50 percent chance of rain, high of 80 degrees and a slight chance of thunderstorms. The overnight low is forecast to dip to 63 degrees.
By Thursday, gusty northeast winds reaching more than 20 mph are likely to affect boaters, and beach goers will want to watch for rip current warnings. The temperature Thursday is forecast to reach 72 degrees with a low of 63.