3:15 a.m. Look at Alabama’s Weather Strong Storms, Heavy Rain Pushing into Alabama

At this hour, a large area of rain and thunderstorms is pushing through West Alabama.

The leading edge of the rain extends from Smoke Rise in southern Blount County t0 just west of Bessemer to the Tuscaloosa area, into Greene and Sumter Counties, where a severe thunderstorm warning is in effect. to severe thunderstorms are over the central land southern parts of Mississippi.

There is a lot of lightning now from southwestern Jefferson County through Tuscaloosa, Pickens, Sumter, Greene, and into Bibb Counties.

The activity is along a stalled frontal system that extends from central Texas across northern Louisiana, southern Mississippi, South Central Alabama and into Georgia and South Carolina. Very moist air is lifting northward into the front.

Increasing winds in the lower, middle and upper levels of the atmosphere are creating lift and pushing moisture northward. These winds are providing strong wind shear that is helping to organize the storms into bowing segments, like the one of Sumer and Greene Counties.

Damaging winds are likely with the stronger bowing segments.

The best instability will remain near the Gulf Coast, but the instability aloft will combine with the strong winds aloft to produce severe thunderstorms into South Central Alabama where a severe thunderstorm watch is in effect. A couple of tornadoes will be possible in the more unstable air closer to the coast, where the tornado watch is in effect.

A marginal risk (1 out of 5) covers the southern half of Alabama today and tonight according to the Storm Prediction Center. A slight risk (2 out of 5) covers the extreme southern part of our state.

One hour rainfall rates over Sumter and Greene Counties will approach one inch per hour, causing local flooding.

Waves of showers and storms will be the rule through noon on Thursday.

A flash flood watch continues for most of the southern half of Alabama including Autauga, Barbour, Bibb, Bullock, Calhoun, Chambers, Chilton, Clay, Cleburne, Coosa, Dallas, Elmore, Greene, Hale, Jefferson, Lee, Lowndes, Macon, Marengo, Montgomery, Perry, Pickens, Pike, Randolph, Russell, Shelby, St. Clair, Sumter, Talladega, Tallapoosa and Tuscaloosa Counties.

Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Severe Weather