Clouds Increase Thursday; Severe Storms Still Likely Saturday
It was another chilly start to our day, but it’s going to be the last winter-feeling morning in our area for a while. Clouds gradually increase today with a southeast breeze warming temperatures into the upper 60s. No rain is forecast today. This evening remains dry and much milder. Expect temperatures generally in the upper 50s between 7 and 11 PM. Overnight lows fall range from the low to mid 50s.
Expect a mostly cloudy sky on Friday with scattered showers and storms possible by the afternoon. However, many locations could remain dry. Friday looks like another warm day, with high temperatures in the low 70s. Scattered showers and/or thunderstorms are possible during the day, though recent model guidance suggests most of the rain may remain to our west, close to the MS/AL state line. We could see some scattered showers and/or a few storms Friday night also. Expect mild temperatures, with lows only falling into the 60s.
A significant round of severe weather still looks possible if not likely on Saturday. Tornadoes, some of which could be strong, and damaging straight line winds are the primary severe weather threats. A potent line of storms arrives in west Alabama during the late morning. Another concern is the potential for “discrete” thunderstorm development ahead of the main line of storms. Any storms forming ahead of the line could quickly become severe and have a higher tornado potential. Along the line itself, damaging straight line winds are the greater threat, but tornadoes could form within the line too. The storms move in a west to east fashion, so expect a late morning to early/mid afternoon threat west of I-65, with a mainly early afternoon through evening threat east of I-65.
The severe weather threat window should close around 8PM Saturday night as the line moves east of our area. Saturday night lows fall into the 40s to low 50s behind the front, but Sunday afternoon highs rebound into the 60s. Sunday morning looks dry, but scattered showers could return during the afternoon/evening because the front stalls just to our southeast. The front lifts north early next week, and hangs around our area as a stationary front through midweek.
Expect scattered to numerous showers and some storms Monday through Wednesday with the front still draped across the southeast. Temperatures remain rather mild during that frame, with highs near 70 and lows only falling into the 50s. Scattered showers may even linger into next Thursday.
