RALEIGH, N.C. (WNCN) — As central North Carolina prepares for severe weather this Sunday, the Midwest and South are expected to get hit with severe storms Saturday. The biggest threat of severe weather will come Saturday for parts of Mississippi and Alabama that are in a rare high-risk of severe weather — a 5 out of 5 on the severe weather threat scale.
The Storm Prediction Center, which issues the severe weather outlooks, said the following Saturday morning:
"A tornado outbreak is expected across the central Gulf Coast States and Deep South into the Tennessee Valley. Numerous significant tornadoes, some of which should be long-track and potentially violent, are expected this afternoon and evening."
The black lines on the Tornado Threat graphic represent the area (very expansive) that could see significant (EF2+) tornadoes. Friday night on the CBS Evening News, meteorologist Lonnie Quinn put this risk in historical context.
“Seldom do we ever issue a 5 out of 5 warning a day ahead of time. The last time we did was April 14, 2012 and it resulted in 85 tornadoes and 6 deaths. April 7, 2006, the first time we did this, there were 56 tornadoes and ten deaths.”
According to the National Weather Service office in Birmingham, all of central Alabama will be under at least a level 4 risk out of 5, with many areas under that most severe high risk of level 5. The main threats will be "strong, long-tracked" tornadoes and damaging straight-line winds gusting up to 70 miles per hour between the hours of 11 a.m. Saturday to 3 a.m. Sunday, NWS Birmingham forecasted. Large hail up to 2 inches in diameter is also possible.
That system is the same one that will move into North Carolina Sunday. Though the risk in central NC is not as high — it is currently a level 2 risk — there is still the possibility of tornadoes and damaging winds. According to CBS 17's Storm Team, the line of storms could move into central NC starting as early as 10 a.m. Sunday and linger until around 8 p.m. that night.
Stay with CBS 17 for the latest forecast.