Rain/Storms Return; Severe Storms Likely This Week

A more active week of weather is ahead for Alabama including the threat for strong and severe storms through midweek and it starts today. The Storm Prediction Center has much of Alabama in a “Marginal Risk” (level 1/5) for severe storms later today.

The main threats will come from isolated damaging wind gusts up to 60 mph, quarter size hail, and a brief spin-up tornado cannot be ruled out. By the midday hour, a line of showers and thunderstorms will begin to move into the northwestern corner of Alabama ahead of a front. The line will be in a weakening trend through the early afternoon, but the line looks to intensify during the mid to late afternoon hours. There will be plenty of instability available, but the better shear and helicity values will be displaced north and east out of the area while the line moves into the area
Highs will be in the lower 70s to the lower 80s.

Just like with any other severe weather threat, be sure you have your safety kits, your safety plans, and several trusty ways to get warnings ready to go just in case your location goes under a warning.

RAIN/STORMS TUESDAY: The front responsible for the storms today will wash out over Central Alabama tomorrow, which will keep rain and thunderstorms in the forecast throughout the entire day. We may have a strong storm or two, and the SPC maintains another “Marginal Risk” (level 1/5) for severe storms tomorrow across much of Alabama.

Again, the main threats will come in the form of damaging wind gusts and hail.

POTENTIAL SIGNIFICANT SEVERE EVENT ON WEDNESDAY: Wednesday continues to look like it will be a very active day across Central Alabama, especially during the late morning through the late-night and into the pre-dawn hours on Thursday. The Storm Prediction Center has issued an “Enhanced Risk” (level 3/5), for much of Alabama on Wednesday.

Wednesday will be a very warm and breezy day with highs in the 70s and 80s, with dew points in the 60s and 70s, which will allow for a very unstable air mass which will fuel the storms. No matter what color on the map that your location is under, all of Alabama is under a threat for severe storms as this is a typical spring-time severe weather set-up for Alabama, and all modes of severe weather are expected and that includes: tornadoes, damaging winds up to 60 MPH, large hail up to golf ball size, and there is also the potential for a few strong (EF2+) tornadoes.

As of now, the timing for the event remains broad, from late Wednesday morning through late Wednesday night and we could possibly see storms persisting into the pre-dawn hours on Thursday for the eastern parts of the area. Now is the time to plan ahead and have multiple ways to get warnings:
• NOAA Weather Radio
• Local TV/Radio
• Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEAs) and Weather Apps on cell phones
• Trusty websites and instantly updated social media feeds
• Friends, family, and coworkers

Just remember that this is just to be sure that people are prepared for the potential of severe weather on Wednesday, and not to scare anyone. If you have your safety plan, safety kit, and your reliable ways of getting warnings ready to go, we’ll get through this together.

Rain and storms will remain possible along and ahead of the cold front especially for the eastern portions of the area until just before midday, Thursday, after that, improving weather highlight the forecast through the weekend. Thursday afternoon will feature a clearing sky and it will be breezy at times as winds could gust as high as 25 mph. Highs will be in the lower 60s to the lower 70s. Friday will be a quiet day across Alabama with a mix of sun and clouds. Afternoon highs will be in the mid-60s.

Now is time to get prepared for the onset of severe weather!!!
Ryan