Two Rounds Of Severe Storms: One Overnight, Another Saturday
Clouds were on the rise Friday afternoon, though temperatures were a touch warmer than Thursday with highs in the low to mid 70s. While Friday was a dry day, that changes Friday night through Saturday morning. A round of strong to severe storms arrives in southwest Alabama after midnight. Damaging winds up to 60 mph and a few tornadoes are the main threat within a likely cluster/complex of storms. The Storm Prediction center places an enhanced risk for severe weather across southwest Alabama tonight and early Saturday morning. The threat is lower the further east/north you go. However, we should all be on alert for severe storms overnight. For Friday evening, our forecast remains in good shape. Temperatures slowly fall through the 60s with cloudy but mainly rain free conditions.
The potentially severe storms race across south Alabama into our southeast communities shortly after sunrise Saturday. After these storms clear our area, another round of storms develop after midday. These storms appear to be more scattered in nature, near the leading edge of the storms system’s cold front itself. The main threats from these storms are damaging winds and large hail. Hail could approach golf ball (1.75″ diameter) size. Storms exit stage right by the mid to late evening. The rest of Saturday night looks much more quiet, though clouds linger. Winds turn to the northwest behind the front, with lows in the mid to upper 50s.
Sunday’s weather looks much improved. Sunshine could be plentiful by the afternoon, with daytime highs in the upper 70s. Sunday night lows fall into the mid 50s.
Early next week looks dry and warm with highs in the low to mid 80s Monday and Tuesday. Monday features a mostly sunny sky, while Tuesday could be closer to partly cloudy. Another front and chance for rain approach our area around the latter half of next week, though models don’t agree on specific timing very well. There may even be some severe weather potential late next week, but that’s very uncertain. Our forecast could trend drier early next weekend.
