Mississippi/Louisiana Tornado Watch Extended Til 1 a.m.; Wait and See on any Watch for Alabama

The SPC and NWS Office in Mississippi and Louisiana have opted to extend the existing Tornado Watch for portions of their areas until 1 a.m. CST.

Storms have intensified late this evening from northwest of Columbia, MS to west of Tylertown. These storms have cleared McComb MS where there is a Flash Flood Warning in effect. Lots of lightning with these storms along with a threat for very heavy rain.

We will be monitoring these storms to see if they can become severe. Instability values as high as 500 joules extend northward to about I-20 in Mississippi. A strong low level jet is over southeastern Louisiana and eastern Mississippi. This is leading to very strong bulk shear into southwestern Alabama. It remains to be seen if the instability can combine with the shear to keep intensifying these storms.

We will also be watching to see if the warm front can advance northward at all. It currently has pushed a little northeast, lying somewhere around Livingston and Demopolis, extending over to Selma. This will delineate the area of potential severe weather in Alabama. Right now, the National Weather Service in Birmingham says they are taking a wait and see attitude about the prospects of having a watch in our state.

For areas north of a line from Panola to Akron to Suttle to Millbrook southward have only a very small chance of any severe weather. For areas south of the line, severe weather is possible overnight, including the threat of damaging winds and a couple of tornadoes. The threat is highest along and south of the warm front.

Tomorrow, storms could ramp up again tomorrow around noon from Wetumpka south to Monroeville and eastward to Alex City and Auburn.

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