US Severe Weather Alert: Schools Close In Virginia, Charlotte DC Alters Schedules

(MENAFN- Live Mint) Several school divisions in eastern Virginia announced closures on Monday as severe weather threatened parts of the region. The decision comes as forecasters warned of potentially dangerous storms expected to impact the commonwealth.

Multiple school districts in the Charlotte region also adjusted their schedules for Monday due to the threat of severe weather. Officials warned that waves of strong thunderstorms could bring damaging winds and isolated tornadoes to the Carolinas between Sunday night and March 16.

In the Washington, D.C., area, several school systems said they would dismiss students early, shift to virtual learning, or close schools altogether ahead of a storm system expected to bring heavy rain, strong winds, and the possibility of tornadoes. Authorities said the precautionary measures were taken to ensure student safety as the storm moves through the region.

AccuWeather warns of widespread severe storms across eastern US

AccuWeather meteorologists have warned of a widespread severe weather outbreak across the eastern United States on Monday, with more than a dozen states at risk of strong thunderstorms.

According to the weather forecasting company, the threat is linked to the“Triple-Threat March Megastorm,” which has already brought blizzard conditions and powerful winds to parts of the Midwest. As the system moves east, AccuWeather said a large squall line of thunderstorms is expected to form along an advancing Arctic front, capable of producing destructive winds, tornadoes and torrential downpours.

AccuWeather reported that the severe weather threat began Sunday afternoon across the central United States, stretching from Texas to southwestern Michigan as the front interacted with moisture streaming in from the Gulf of Mexico.

A powerful line of thunderstorms later developed and raced eastward, bringing damaging wind gusts, heavy rain, hail and a few tornadoes. AccuWeather noted that the strongest wind gust recorded so far reached 77 mph in Minturn, Arkansas.

The weather agency said the risk of severe weather will shift eastward, with storms possible from Florida to New York. The weather service has upgraded the threat to“high risk” from York, Pennsylvania, to Columbia, South Carolina.

The primary hazard will be widespread damaging straight-line winds, though heavy downpours and a few tornadoes are also possible. AccuWeather warned that winds could gust up to 80 mph, with a Local StormMax of 100 mph in some areas.

Severe storms could also coincide with the evening commute in several major metro areas, including Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Richmond, Virginia, potentially slowing travel due to downed trees, power lines and reduced visibility from heavy rain.

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