KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — If you are making outdoor plans this weekend, you might want to reconsider or adjust to accommodate for periods of rain that are anticipated to start Friday and last through at least Monday.
A powerful low pressure that had been battering California is going to be bringing us occasional showers with heavier downpours possible Saturday and Monday. This will be the first rain event for February, so many will welcome the ground getting saturated. However, the entire weekend won't be completely spoiled. Sunday we will have a brief break with only a few light showers expected early and then late.
The rain may be the primary concern, but the wind will also become slightly problematic. Wind gusts late Friday through Saturday will blow from 20-30 mph. Furthermore, an additional 1"-2" of rain Saturday coupled with strong winds may lead to some local flooding of roads and low-lying areas. There is an elevated flood risk for the areas shaded in yellow. Isolated flooding is possible for the areas shaded in green.
Except for potential flooding and gusty wind, we could use the rain since we have not had a drop since the beginning of February. The Cumberland Plateau could certainly benefit because there is an ongoing moderate drought for many and abnormally dry for others.
Rainfall totals through the end of the events could reach 4". Some models are not quite as aggressive, forecasting 2-3", but newer updates show that a frontal boundary may stall nearby and drop heavier totals. We see a particular focus in the Valley.
Thankfully, these impacts will not be consistent throughout the weekend, so there will be some opportunities to step outside or run errands. Especially Sunday afternoon, in between the exiting Saturday system and the later-approaching system late Sunday. Be safe and have a great weekend!