Alabama again faces the threat of severe storms: Is relief in sight?
The potential for a few severe storms has been (again) added to the forecast for northern Alabama on Tuesday.
The National Weather Service thinks storms will be more likely this afternoon and evening.
Forecasters will be watching to see if clusters of storms develop to the west in Mississippi and track eastward into Alabama starting this afternoon.
The strongest ones could again bring wind gusts up to 60 mph, hail and heavy rain. The tornado risk is low but not zero.
NOAA’s Storm Prediction Center has added a Level 1 out of 5 (marginal) risk to the forecast for most of north Alabama and the northern part of central Alabama for today.
A Level 1 risk means that isolated severe storms will be possible.
No severe weather is expected in south-central or south Alabama today, but there could be showers and thunderstorms.
Rain and storms will be possible for most of the state through the day today, but the best chances for those stronger storms will begin this afternoon.
A flood watch has been allowed to expire for central Alabama but heavy rain will be possible in the state at times today, which could lead to localized flooding.
But there’s good news for those sick of the rain: Drier weather is expected to make a comeback starting on Wednesday.
Rain chances will drop dramatically tomorrow, and temperatures are expected to start climbing.
Here are the expected rain chances from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Wednesday:
Very low rain chances are expected for most of the state tomorrow. This forecast is from 7 a.m. until 7 p.m. Wednesday.NWS
The weather is expected to stay drier through Thursday, but rain chances could return starting on Friday in northern Alabama and Saturday for the rest of the state.
So far the Storm Prediction Center has only included a small part of northwest Alabama in a general severe weather risk for Friday.
Here’s the outlook for Friday:
A small part of northwest Alabama has been added to a severe weather risk area for Friday.SPC
Another frontal system is expected to stall over the region, which could lead to heightened storm chances, forecasters said.
The weather service will be watching to see where the front goes over the weekend. Forecasters said if the front stays to the northwest of Alabama, it would increase the state’s chances of seeing additional days of severe weather.