CHARLESTON, W.Va. — A tornado watch is in effect for much of West Virginia until 11 a.m. Thursday, as an approaching cold front threatens to bring severe thunderstorms and flash flooding to the region.
The Watch covers: Boone, Braxton, Cabell, Calhoun, Clay, Fayette, Jackson, Kanawha, Lincoln, Logan, Mason, Mingo, Nicholas, Putnam, Roane, Wayne, Webster and Wirt counties.
According to the West Virginia Emergency Management Division, the incoming weather system will generate multiple rounds of showers and thunderstorms throughout the day. Weather officials warn that the primary hazards associated with these storms include damaging winds, isolated tornadoes, and localized flash flooding due to excessive rainfall.
The severe weather threat is expected to clear out ahead of the weekend. A drier, cooler, and less humid air mass will move into the area, providing a brief reprieve on Friday and Saturday.
However, unsettled weather is forecast to return by Sunday evening. A second cold front is projected to bring another wave of showers and thunderstorms lasting through Monday, before conditions clear out again for a cooler, less humid midweek.
