Storms Firing In Mississippi (Late Note about New Watch)

Thunderstorms have increased in coverage and intensity over northern Mississippi in an instability axis where CAPEs are 500-1500 j/kg. A few severe thunderstorm warnings have been issued.

The storms will be entering West Alabama soon…but the airmass they will be moving into is very stable with all of the rain cooled air from this morning storms. This will make the storms tend to weaken, but the SPC believes that lapse rates (cooling with height) will be sharp enough to produce large hail and the potential for damaging winds.

Here is a closer look at the Jackson radar to see where these storms will be heading.

We have been without the Columbus MS radar since about 2 a.m. While it hasn’t hindered any warning operations, it has meant some hopping around to look at radar data.

The storms should affect Lamar and Pickens Counties starting between 2:30 and 3:00.

These storms are more like summertime storms. They are moving slower and don’t have the organization we expect with spring storms. They tend to go up fast and aren’t as long lived. Still, they have the potential to produce hail and damaging winds.

We will see additional severe weather developing through the afternoon and evening along the southern periphery of this rain cooled airmass over North Central Alabama. You could see another round of severe thunderstorm watches later. Heavy rain is also a threat and flash flood watches have been issued.

A LATE NOTE FROM JIM STEFKOVICH, CHIEF OF NWS BIRMINGHAM
Jim says we will be looking at a new severe thunderstorm watch soon over parts of West Central and Central Alabama. Some of the storms could actually be elevated (not surface based), but be able to produce severe hail.

Category: Alabama's Weather, Severe Weather