Strong Storms Approaching Northwest Alabama

The Mesoscale Convective Complex pushing southeast from Tennessee is now approaching the Northeast Alabama counties of Madison and Jackson.

The SPC doesn’t expect a watch any time soon, but that could change as we go through the day.

It has organized along a line from Manchester TN to just northwest of Fayetteville into extreme southeast Lawrence County, TN just north of the Alabama border.

Winds could reach 40 mph with these storms. Not much lightning yet, but that will be increasing as instability levels rise and the storms intensify. They could become severe late today. Damaging wind gusts will be the primary threat.

Rain and storms extend all the way back into southeastern Missouri and this could lead to some heavy rainfall amounts and flooding if we get training of storm cells over an extended period.

A second main line seems to be forming southwest of Nashville, It seems like it will have more of a propensity to sag a little further south.

All of North and most of Central Alabama is in a marginal risk (level 1-5) for severe weather. Areas from Cherokee to Phil Campbell to Warrior to Argo, Lincoln and Heflin are in an upgraded slight risk (level 2 of 5) just because of that being the main corridor of storm travel today. The further west and south you go though, instability values will be off the charts and storms with very strong potential for downburst winds. The good news is though that storms will be more isolated over West Central Alabama.

Heat advisories do cover much of the western half of North and Central Alabama. Heat index values will approach 105-110 degrees.

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