James Spann: Clearing for Alabama later today; more strong storms Friday afternoon
James Spann forecasts active weather for Alabama through Saturday from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.
RADAR CHECK: Showers and a few thunderstorms persist across Alabama early this morning. So far they have been behaved with no severe weather. There is just a low-end risk of a few storms with gusty winds and small hail over the next few hours. The sky will become partly to mostly sunny late this morning into the afternoon as a slot of dry air works into the state. Temperatures will likely exceed 80 degrees in most places this afternoon.
FRIDAY: The sky will be occasionally cloudy and the air becomes very unstable by afternoon, much like a summer day. Scattered showers and thunderstorms will form in this environment. The Storm Prediction Center has defined an enhanced risk (level 3 out of 5) of severe storms for a few counties in west Alabama; there is a slight risk (level 2 of 5) as far east as Decatur, Ashland, Troy and Foley and a marginal risk (level 1 of 5) for the rest of the state.
Thunderstorms Friday afternoon could produce large hail and strong, potentially damaging winds. The highest threat of severe storms will come from 1 until 8 p.m. The high Friday will be in the upper 70s.
SATURDAY: An organized batch of showers and storms will push into Alabama after midnight Friday night into Saturday morning, and these storms could be strong to severe. The SPC has much of the state in a marginal to slight risk.
The main window for severe storms will come from 4 a.m. until 10 a.m. Saturday; during that time frame thunderstorms will be capable of producing large hail; strong, potentially damaging winds, and a tornado or two. On the positive side, Saturday afternoon looks rain-free for most of the state with a clearing sky and temperatures in the 70s.
Rain amounts between now and Saturday morning will be 2-3 inches for much of Alabama, with heavier totals, perhaps to 4 inches, over the southwest corner of the state.
SUNDAY AND NEXT WEEK: Sunday will be dry; the sky will be partly to mostly sunny with a high in the mid 70s. For now, much of next week looks fairly quiet with no major rain producers. A few showers are possible Wednesday or Thursday with a weak front.
ON THIS DATE IN 1998: A violent EF-5 tornado cut a 31-mile long, three-quarter-mile wide swath through nine Birmingham suburbs including Oak Grove, Sylvan Springs, Rock Creek, Pleasant Grove, Concord, Pratt City and Edgewater before lifting in the western limits of Birmingham. The worst of the destruction occurred across the Oak Grove, Rock Creek, McDonald Chapel and Pratt City communities.
Thirty-two people were killed in this tornado: three in Oak Grove, 11 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.
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