A severe weather outbreak is likely across the Deep South today and through the weekend

Today is a great day. First of all it’s Friday and second it’s going to be warm. 
We have a very strong cold front heading our way. More on that below.
While it will be warm today, it will be breezy and gusty with elevated fire danger.
Highs reach the mid to upper 70s.
Okay… let’s talk severe weather!

We have an incredibly strong low pressure developing through the day in the Great Plains. As this storm moves in southern Canada, a strong cold front will sweep to the east. This cold front will cause a mess with damage expected.
The greatest risk for severe storms today is from the Upper Midwest, along the Mississippi River down to the Gulf coast. 

The Storm Prediction Center has issued a level 2 and level 3 risk for severe storms.
Let me say that all modes of severe weather are on the table; damaging wind, large hail and isolated tornadoes.
NOW LET’S TALK TIMING AND IMPACTS
We start Saturday morning off with linger and weakening showers from convection in Middle Tennessee. So anticipate mostly cloudy skies to begin the day with a few light showers and maybe a few rumbles of thunder, mainly along the Cumberland Plateau.
Our severe weather through the afternoon on Saturday is all dependent on the morning convection and cloud cover. The more clouds the more stable the atmosphere will be and the less severe weather during the afternoon. But, all the ingredients are there for severe weather, so please stay alert through the afternoon.
If we get storms to fire from Noon to 7pm, they will be supercell storms. That’s the big ones. If they develop in the warm unstable airmass, they will get going quickly and will produce damaging wind, large hail and tornadoes.
So, time will tell.
Heading into the evening the cold front will be heading our way. 
Along the cold front, a line of severe storms are possible. Damaging wind will be the main threat, but we will still have a ton of wind shear. So, the line could produce tornadoes as well.
Heavy rain will be with us late tonight and through the early morning hours on Sunday.
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Looking past the 7 Day Forecast, the Climate Prediction Center has issues a forecast based on probabilities.
These maps don’t show you how far above or below, but rather an idea of how strong the signal is.