Wet, Unsettled Weather Ahead For Alabama
RADAR CHECK: Rain and thunderstorms continue over roughly the western half of Alabama this afternoon; the sky has been brighter over the eastern half of the state where there was some decent viewing opportunities for today’s solar eclipse.
Rain and thunderstorms will continue tomorrow, especially over the northern half of the state, and statewide on Wednesday. The rain will be heavy at times Wednesday and Wednesday night; rain amounts between now and early Friday will be in the 2-4 inch range for much of the state. Some flooding issues are possible.
Also, a few storms could be strong to severe Wednesday as a surface low passes northwest of the state. SPC has an “enhanced risk” (level 3/5) of severe thunderstorms in place Wednesday across Southwest Alabama in the broad zone from York to Mobile. A “slight risk” (level 2/5) extends as far north as Haleyville, Birmingham, and Auburn, and the rest of the state is in a “marginal risk” (level 1/5).
Thankfully the air should be generally rain cooled and stable; the main issue will come from strong, gusty winds. However, an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out, mainly in the “enhanced risk” area.
Thursday will be a mostly cloudy, cooler day with some risk of lingering showers over the northern half of the state.
FRIDAY AND THE WEEKEND: Friday will be a partly to mostly sunny day with a high around 70 degrees. Then, the weekend will be warm and dry with lots of sun Saturday and Sunday along with afternoon highs around 80 degrees.
NEXT WEEK: The week will be warm with highs in the low 80s most days, maybe even mid 80s in spots. A few spotty showers are possible on a few days during the week, but for now we don’t see any big rain event, or severe weather threat… See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 1998: An EF-5 tornado cut a 31-mile long, 3/4-mile wide swath through nine Birmingham suburbs including Oak Grove, Sylvan Springs, Rock Creek, Pleasant Grove, Concord, Maytown, Pratt City, and Edgewater before lifting in the western limits of the City of Birmingham. The worst of the destruction occurred across the Oak Grove, Rock Creek and McDonald Chapel areas.
Thirty-two people were killed in this tornado including three in Oak Grove, eleven near Rock Creek, four in Sylvan Springs, two in Wylam Heights, nine in Edgewater, two in McDonald Chapel and one in West Ensley. The same parent storm would drop another tornado that killed two more people in St. Clair County near Wattsville.
Look for the next video briefing here by 6:00 a.m. tomorrow…
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
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