ACTIVE WEATHER: Alabama’s weather will be active over the first half of the week with two distinct rounds of showers and storms. The first one comes after midnight tonight. SPC has defined a “marginal risk” (level 1/5) for areas north of a line from Tuscaloosa to Gadsden to Fort Payne…
A line of storms will enter North Alabama around 2-3 a.m…. they should be weakening, but still capable of producing strong winds through daybreak. The tornado threat is very low, and after 6:00 a.m. tomorrow it will be just a large area of rain that will dissipate by mid-morning.
Round two comes tomorrow night… SPC has defined a “slight risk” (level 2/5) north of a line from Linden to Calera to Sand Rock…
For now it looks like the main window for strong to severe storms will come from about 7:00 p.m. tomorrow through 2:00 a.m. Wednesday. Storms should weaken during the pre-dawn hours Wednesday after 2:00 a.m. The main threat will come from strong, potentially damaging winds. A brief tornado or two is possible, but not likely.
Lingering rain across South Alabama will end at some point Wednesday morning.
THURSDAY/FRIDAY: Showers are possible over far South Alabama Thursday, but much of the state will be dry. And, Friday also looks rain-free for most of the state as cooler, drier air settles in. Afternoon highs drop into the 60s over North Alabama Friday.
THE WEEKEND: A wave will form on the front near the coast, and rain is likely Saturday over the southern half of Alabama. The air will be stable, and there is no risk of severe storms. Then, Sunday will be a dry day with highs in the 70s.
On the positive side, rain amounts will be in the 2-3 inch range over North Alabama, with 1-2 inches for South Alabama through Saturday. See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE FIFTEEN YEARS AGO: A generational tornado outbreak for Alabama. A total of 62 tornadoes, responsible for 252 deaths and over 2,000 injuries. The loss of life came despite excellent and timely warnings for every tornado; we learned that day that physical science is not enough. We need to weave social science knowledge into the warning process, which is happening now. This day will haunt me until the day I die. For us in the weather enterprise, it was our finest day, and our worst day. We continue to mourn the 252 precious people that died April 27, 2011. Never forget.
For more weather news and information from James Spann and his team, visit the Alabama Weather Network.
