Strong Storms Possible Overnight Friday

Clouds continue increase today and a few showers could reach the western counties of the state by afternoon. Afternoon highs will top out in the 70s for most locations. A cold front drops in from the north tonight and rain and storms should become more widespread overnight. There is a possibility for a few strong to severe storms over parts of the area.

In the latest Severe Weather Outlook from the Storm Prediction Center, they have a good part of the western and central portions of Alabama defined in a “Marginal Risk” for severe storms for Friday night and into Saturday morning. With a “Slight Risk” into far west Alabama, roughly along and west of the Hwy 43 corridor from Tuscaloosa down to Mobile.

At this point this appears to be a low instability/high shear event with damaging winds up to 60 MPH as the main threat. The tornado threat will be very low with this event, but not zero, so a brief spin-up tornado or two will be possible. This will be a linear event, and the window for strong to severe storms in Central Alabama will start around 11:00 PM Friday and should end around 8:00 AM Saturday.

For the rest of Saturday, not at all a pleasant spring day with it feeling and looking more like winter. Clouds will linger through the day, and temperatures will be going the wrong way. We start the day Saturday morning close to 65 degrees, but temperatures will fall through the 50s by late afternoon.

REST OF WEEKEND: The sky will clear Saturday night, and we will have potential for patchy frost early Sunday morning with lows mostly in the mid to upper 30s with a clear sky and light wind. Then, during the day Sunday, the sky will be mostly sunny with a high in the upper 60s.

FOOTBALL WEATHER: For the Auburn A-Day spring game at Jordan Hare Stadium Saturday (3:00p CT kickoff)… the sky will be mostly cloudy with temperatures falling from near 55 at kickoff, into the upper 40s by the final whistle. A brisk northwest wind will make it feel colder.

INTO NEXT WEEK: Monday and Tuesday look wet with showers as another cold front moves into the state. Then colder and drier air will return during the mid-week period with perhaps lows falling back into the 30s again by Wednesday morning.

Have a great day!
Ryan