PANAMA CITY — If you like your weather a little drier, Saturday and Sunday may be more to your liking than Friday. After a day of heavy rain, the weekend is predicted to be cloudy and cooler.
Saturday’s weather is forecast to be mixed: Peeks of sun sometimes, and developing thunderstorms — some possibly severe, especially along and east of the Apalachicola River, according to the National Weather Service. Sunny and warm weather returns Sunday, although nighttime lows could dip into the 40s, especially inland.
There were no reports of major damage from Friday’s storms in Bay and surrounding counties, but the NWS reported a storm surge of 3 feet along Panama City Beach during the height of the severe thunderstorms, which rolled through the county just in time for the lunch hour, producing heavy rain and high winds. As of 5 p.m., the NWS reported 2.45 inches of rain fell in West Bay on Friday.
Earlier versions of this story are posted below:
PANAMA CITY — The severe weather appears to be over Friday, but forecasters said showers may continue on and off through Friday night.
Saturday's weather is forecast to be mixed: Peeks of sun sometimes, and developing thunderstorms — some possibly severe, especially along and east of the Apalachicola River, according to the National Weather Service. Sunny and warm weather returns Sunday, although nighttime lows could dip into the 40s, especially inland.
There were no reports of major damage from Friday's storms in Bay and surrounding counties, but the National Weather Service reported a storm surge of 3 feet along Panama City Beach during the height of the severe thunderstorms, which rolled through the county just in time for the lunch hour.
Below are earlier version of this story:
PANAMA CITY — A line of severe thunderstorms was moving through Bay and surrounding counties midday Friday, prompting several severe thunderstorm warning.
The latest warning was issued for Bay, Calhoun and Gulf counties until 1:45 p.m. CDT. At 12:45 p.m., a line of severe thunderstorms stretched from Lynn Haven to south of Tyndall Air Force Base, moving northeast at 40 mph, according to the National Weather Service in Tallahassee. The storms were capable of producing winds above 70 mph.
Parts of Bay County, including Panama City, were dropped from the warning early, although rain was expected to continue.
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PANAMA CITY — Friday will be wet and windy in Northwest Florida.
The National Weather Service in Tallahassee (NWS) issued a flash flood watch until 7 p.m. CDT for Bay, Walton, Holmes, Washington, Jackson, Calhoun and Gulf counties. A shortwave trough is generating a broad area of showers and thunderstorms across the Deep South on Friday morning, including pockets of severe storms.
Although widespread severe weather is not expected Friday, there is a chance of severe storms with damaging winds, and up to 4 inches could fall by the end of the day in some spots, according to the NWS, with a few forecast models supporting rain totals of up to 6 inches in a few isolated areas.
NWS issued a severe thunderstorm warning for Bay, Walton and Washington counties until 12:45 p.m. Near-hurricane force winds are possible with the storms.
The high temperature will max out in the 70s across the Panhandle and Big Bend, although rain-cooled areas will stay closer to 70.
The rain is forecast to continue into Saturday — sorry, beachgoers — with a slight chance of thunderstorms early, especially in the Big Bend region, but skies are expected to slowly clear by Saturday evening as a cold front moves through, dropping the the upper 40s by Sunday morning.
Sunday is forecast to be sunny and pleasant, with highs in the low 70s, and Sunday night's low will drop into the upper 40s, according to NWS.