Early Afternoon in Alabama

Not much to report. We are just trying to keep you informed on an anxious-type weather day.

Radar at 12:20 this afternoon showed only a few “little bittty,” “small,” “tiny” showers this afternoon. Visible satellite shows that there are some good breaks in the clouds, especially over NW and West Central Alabama. The north two-thirds of Mississippi has a lot more sun than clouds.

The main low-pressure area was centered over NE Illinois and Northern Indiana with a cold front extending southwestward into Arkansas and East Texas.

Winds aloft are quite strong. Over Birmingham, even at 5,000 feet, the wind was out of the SW at 80 mph. The entire atmosphere is on the move.

Based on noon reports it was already up to 69 degrees in Huntsville, 68 in Birmingham, 72 in Montgomery and Meridian and 76 at Greenwood, Mississippi. Dew points are well into the 60s over Central and South Mississippi (atmosphere more moist). That moisture is spreading NE into Alabama.

Earlier the Storm Prediction Center indicated that they were about to issue a watch for NE Mississippi, NW and West/Central Alabama. That was issued at 12:25 p.m., but so far the actual watch has not been forthcoming. There is a Tornado Watch still in effect for much of Central Tennessee into North Kentucky. This includes the Nashville area.

This is one of those days that when the thunderstorms do start developing, they will intensify quickly. The Storm Prediction Center continues the Moderate Risk area for Central and South Alabama generally from about Birmingham southward. The rest of the state is under a Slight Risk.

Of course, a Moderate Risk is more serious than a Slight Risk, but that Moderate Risk includes severe thunderstorms also and some tornadoes.

We are going to be working a 24-hour detail on this storm situation, so stay tuned.

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