Knoxville area weather: East Tennessee could see high winds, storms and snow this week

Fire, wind, thunderstorms and snow all in one week? East Tennessee is expected to see it all.

There is a chance of snow in Knoxville and East Tennessee on Wednesday night, March 5. Thunderstorms and high winds are also expected, according to the National Weather Service.

"Light snow or flurries" are most possible at higher elevations and in the mountains. There is a 30% chance of the mountains in East Tennessee seeing 2 inches of snow.

Less than 24 hours before flurries will fall, East Tennessee will see overnight thunderstorms on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning.

A high wind advisory is also in place for much of East Tennessee, as the region could see wind gusts as strong as 45 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.

While hail is thankfully ruled out for the week, tornados are not out of the realm of possibility. The National Weather Service has indicated a low chance of tornados but not impossible near Chattanooga.

Could it snow in Knoxville on Wednesday?

As temperatures lower, it's possible for East Tennessee to see some snow between Wednesday, March 5, and Thursday, March 6. However, it won't be the same caliber of winter storms that Knoxville has seen this season.

Flurries are expected around the region. Knoxville and the tri-cities both have a 50% chance of rain and snow on Wednesday night. Mountain City has a 70% chance of rain, then snow. Gatlinburg has an 80% chance of snow.

Not all areas will see accumulation. Mountain City, Johnson City, Greenville and Gatlinburg have the highest chance of seeing more than an inch of snow on the ground, according to the National Weather Service.

When will it start to storm in Knoxville?

Expect thunderstorms on Tuesday night into Wednesday morning, according to the National Weather Service. Thunderstorms and gusty winds will arrive overnight.

For the westernmost communities, like Oneida and Kingston, thunderstorms will begin to come down as soon as 10 p.m. and last until around 2 a.m.

Knoxville, Tazewell, Gatlinburg and more central cities will see storms starting around midnight that will last until 5 a.m. Tennessee's easternmost cities won't see thunderstorms until around 3 a.m., according to the National Weather Service.

What is a red flag warning?

A red flag warning is in place for Johnson County, Cocke County, Southeast Greene County, Unicoi County, Southeast Carter County, Blount County and Sevier County. The advisory expires on Tuesday evening before the storms.

The conditions in the Smokies are now highly unfavorable for prescribed burns because the conditions are right for those intended fires to grow into sweeping wildfires, according to the National Weather Service.

When a red flag warning is issued to a region, it's an advisory to be on the lookout for wildfires.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville weather: Snow, high winds, storms in forecast for East TN