Tornado watch expires, night of strong winds ahead

HUNTINGTON, W.Va. (WSAZ) -Tornado watch expires, long night of strong winds ahead

The risk of spinning windstorms ended early Friday evening as squalls of rain moved away from the region. That meant the tornado watch expired with no twisters. Left behind the squalls were scattered power in the hills of Appalachia. But the windstorm risk has changed in character with a night of strong winds ahead with gusts reaching as high as 50 miles per hour. Given the wind will blow all night long with new gusts still to 50 miles per hour in spots, a host of new power outs is likely by the first light of Saturday. Blame this latest rash of winds on a deep area of low pressure that resembled an inland hurricane. The track of this low from the Mississippi Valley thru Indiana and northern Ohio was perfect to deliver not only a long period of strong winds but also one of the lowest barometric pressures ever measured in the region. At its lowest the central pressure bottomed near 29.00″ of mercury or as low as a category 2 hurricane in summer.

Saturday will start under a grey overcast with a chilled breeze before partial sun breaks through by afternoon. Highs will make the 50s on a gusty westerly wind. Sunday will see the wind ease and veer to the south as temperatures warm to 60. So a quiet weekend is ahead after a hairy Friday of windy weather.

Next week the early week trend of warming will give way to late week chilling with even the prospects of some wet snow by Home and Garden weekend in Huntington.

So with a long night of high winds ahead, the phrase “roar lion roar” is applicable!

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