NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) —  Ahead of a cold front this afternoon, rain & storms will increase in Middle Tennessee & Southern Kentucky. A few severe storms are possible, especially east of I-65.

Severe Thunderstorm Watch

Severe T-Storm Watch until 7 PM Tuesday:
Middle TN Counties: Clay, Cumberland, Fentress, Jackson, Macon, Overton, Pickett, Putnam, Smith, Sumner, Trousdale, & Wilson.
Southern KY Counties: Allen, Barren, Clinton, Cumberland, Monroe, Simpson, & Warren.

Severe outlook & threats

This morning, the Storm Prediction Center added an Enhanced Risk (level 3/5) for our far eastern counties and into southeast Southern Kentucky. This includes Clinton & Cumberland counties in KY, and parts of Clay, Fentress, Overton, & Pickett counties in TN.

Storm timing is between 12 PM – 7 PM from northwest to southeast. All modes of severe weather are possible including a very low-end tornado threat for locations east of I-65.

Tuesday breakdown

An area of low pressure will track across Kentucky today, enhancing the risk for severe thunderstorms. This morning, a few showers and storms possible, but most areas will remain dry. Temperatures will start to warm quickly to the upper 70s and lower 80s by mid-morning.

As temperatures reach the lower/middle 80s by early afternoon, instability will be at its peak, and this will fuel thunderstorms development in the early afternoon in Western Kentucky near the Ohio/TN Rivers. They will travel east-southeast through the afternoon and evening.

With this line of storms, damaging wind gusts will be the main severe culprit. However, large hail and an isolated tornado are possible, especially east of Nashville and to the Cumberland Plateau counties of Tennessee and Kentucky.

Late Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, storms are ending in coverage as the wind turns to the north with the cold front passing through our area.

After the storms end Tuesday night, we will see lower humidity on Wednesday. Dew points drop into the lower 50s and 40s on Wednesday, making it feel refreshing.

A few showers and storms return on Thursday, with an area-wide rain chance late Friday into Saturday.