James Spann: Strong to severe storms possible in Alabama through Tuesday night
RADAR CHECK: Scattered showers and strong thunderstorms cover the southern three-quarters of Alabama this afternoon in a warm, moist, unstable air mass. A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect for much of the state through 7 p.m.
The main threat with thunderstorms through tonight will come from hail and strong straight-line winds, although an isolated tornado can’t be ruled out. Storm intensities should decrease late tonight as the air becomes more stable.
TUESDAY: Much of Alabama is in an enhanced risk (level 3 of 5) Tuesday.
The main window for strong to severe thunderstorms will come in the 12-hour window from 9 a.m. until 9 p.m. Heavier storms will be capable of producing large hail, damaging winds and a few tornadoes. Like today, the storms will be somewhat scattered and cellular, making it impossible to give a specific ETA for any one community. Just be aware that a number of passing showers and storms are likely Tuesday and Tuesday night.
Additional rain amounts from now through Tuesday night will be 1-2 inches for much of the state; a few spots could see flooding problems where heavier storms develop.
As always, be sure you are in a position to hear severe weather warnings, and have a plan ready in case you come under a tornado warning polygon.
WEDNESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY: Showers will end early Wednesday for north and central Alabama, and the sky becomes partly sunny by afternoon as dry air returns. Some rain could persist during the day Wednesday over the far southern part of the state. The day will be cooler, with a high in the low to mid 70s.
Thursday and Friday will be rain-free for most of Alabama, with partly sunny days and fair nights. Highs will be in the mid 70s, about five degrees below average for early May.
THE ALABAMA WEEKEND: Saturday will feature a good supply of sunshine with a high around 80 degrees. Clouds return Sunday, and we will bring in a chance of showers and thunderstorms by afternoon ahead of a cold front. Sunday will be warm, with a high between 81 and 85 degrees.
NEXT WEEK: That front is forecast to become stationary across parts of the Deep South, meaning unsettled weather for much of the week with some risk of showers and storms just about daily. Highs will be mostly in the low to mid 80s.
ON THIS DATE IN 1999: There were 63 tornadoes in Oklahoma, making this the worst outbreak ever to strike the state. In central Oklahoma alone, eight individual supercell thunderstorms produced 57 tornadoes. Bridge Creek, Moore and southern parts of the Oklahoma City metro area were hit the hardest. When a tornado was near Moore, Oklahoma, a truck-mounted Doppler radar measured a wind speed of 318 mph, the highest ever observed in a tornado. Forecasters at the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Oklahoma, were faced with the unprecedented situation of a major tornado on the ground threatening their location. As a major F5 tornado was approaching the Oklahoma City metro area from the southwest, the SPC notified its backup, the Air Force Weather Agency at Offutt Air Force Base in Omaha, Nebraska, that it might have to assume operational responsibility if the tornado approached Norman. The storm remained several miles west of the facility but was visible from the SPC roof. Damage from this single tornado was around $1 billion, making it the most costly tornado in history.
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