Some Rain For The Southern Half Of Alabama This Morning
RADAR CHECK: A weather disturbance is brining some patchy light rain to the southern half of Alabama this morning… rain is seen as far north as Nation, Clanton, and Rockford. This rain will move out of the state later this morning, otherwise today will be mostly cloudy with a high in the 50-54 degree range. The sky will begin to clear over the northwest counties of the state this afternoon, and tonight will be clear and colder with a low in the 20s.
REST OF THE WEEK: Tomorrow and Thursday will feature a good supply of sunshine; the high tomorrow will be in the mid to upper 40s, followed by mid 50s Thursday. An upper trough and cold front will pass through Friday with some clouds, but for now measurable rain is not expected for most of the state due to a dry airmass in place. The high Friday afternoon will be close to 50 degrees.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: The weather will be sharply colder Saturday… after starting the day in the 20-25 degree range, the high will be somewhere between 38 and 44 degrees with a sunny sky. Look for another sunny day Sunday with a high in the 50s.
NEXT WEEK: A pattern change will bring warmer air into the state next week… highs will exceed 60 on most days. A cold front will bring a chance of showers by either Wednesday or Thursday… See the Weather Xtreme video for maps, graphics, and more details.
ONE YEAR AGO TODAY: An EF-3 tornado moved through Fultondale, just north of downtown Birmingham, killing one person and injuring about 30 more. The parent storm was first tracked from near Interstate 55 in Central Mississippi. As the storm moved across Mississippi and into West Alabama, it exhibited episodes of rotation, but none were strong enough to produce a tornado. As the storm entered Jefferson County, its structure underwent organization. A rotational signature quickly matured, and a tornado warning was issued at 10:34 p.m. About ten minutes later, the tornado started to produce damage.
The tornado began along Chapel Hills Parkway, where minor shingle damage occurred. The tornado tracked northeastward across Ellard Road and directly over the Walker Chapel Road overpass on Interstate 65. It was at this interstate exit where the tornado began to intensify rapidly, snapping numerous power poles and causing substantial damage to a hotel. The tornado continued northeastward, crossing Highway 31, causing mostly tree damage along the highway. As the tornado moved into residential areas along Fulton Drive and Lykes Boulevard, substantial damage occurred with several homes being destroyed with at least one being swept off the foundation.
As the tornado continued toward the northeast, it paralleled Carson Road and caused substantial damage to homes along Meida Circle, Darlene Drive, and New Castle Road. Buildings in an industrial area along Carson Road were damaged, including a fleet of vehicles at Hurst Towing. The damage along New Castle Road was widespread with a few trees debarked or snapped half way down the trunk, and debris from homes thrown considerable distances. The tornado was down for 10.4 miles, and the maximum path width was 900 yards.
BEACH FORECAST: Click here to see the AlabamaWx Beach Forecast Center page.
WEATHER BRAINS: Don’t forget you can listen to our weekly 90 minute show anytime on your favorite podcast app. This is the show all about weather featuring many familiar voices, including our meteorologists here at ABC 33/40.
CONNECT: You can find me on all of the major social networks…
Look for the next Weather Xtreme video here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
Category: Alabama's Weather, ALL POSTS, Weather Xtreme Videos
About the Author (Author Profile)
James Spann is one of the most recognized and trusted television meteorologists in the industry. He holds the AMS CCM designation and television seals from the AMS and NWA. He is a past winner of the Broadcast Meteorologist of the Year from both professional organizations.Subscribe
If you enjoyed this article, subscribe to receive more just like it.
