The Mississippi Coast might get hit by more storms on Sunday. Strong winds are expected to drop the spring temperatures by more than 20 degrees this week.
There will be storms early Sunday morning, but they will be over by 1 p.m., when temperatures will be closer to 60 degrees.
Chris Bannan, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Slidell, said, “There will be a pretty big drop.”
This week, highs have gotten very close to 80. Sunday, storms coming in from the west could bring up to 2 inches of rain and winds of up to 35 mph. Models are still being looked at by meteorologists to figure out whether the storms will move quickly or slowly make their way along the coast and dump more rain.
It looks like the worst of the storm will hit north Louisiana, Arkansas, southwest Mississippi, and the Delta. Bannan said that weather experts “can’t rule out” a tornado or a small hail storm on the Coast.
The coasts of Hancock, Harrison, and Jackson counties are also under a flood warning until 4 p.m. Saturday. Forecasters are keeping a close eye on the tides. Bannan said that this week’s strong winds have helped make the tides 1.5 feet higher than usual. But it’s going to rain a lot over the weekend, mostly after high tide. That might help water move faster when it rains.
Bannan said that Monday morning lows could drop into the mid-50s or lower because of the cool air behind the storms. It might get even cooler close to Pascagoula. Monday and Tuesday will have highs in the low 70s. We expect a high in the 60s on Wednesday.
The worst of Mississippi’s spring severe storm season is almost over. This season lasts from March to May. Storms and tornadoes happen this time of year when warm and cold temperatures clash. Last weekend in Jackson County, there was a short tornado and ten inches of rain. A few mobile homes were damaged, and rescues had to rush in by boat to save two people who had been swept off a four-wheeler. From what the National Weather Service in Jackson knows, at least 40 tornadoes have already hit Mississippi this year.
