What you need to know about Alabama’s severe storm threat this Memorial Day weekend
It looks like the weather in Alabama will be stormy at times over the Memorial Day weekend.
There will be one sunny day to enjoy first. Friday’s weather will be pleasant with low rain chances and partly cloudy skies, according to forecasts from the National Weather Service.
Things could change over the weekend, when several rounds of storms will be possible. However, it won’t rain all day, every day, and some parts of the state won’t get any rain at all.
Saturday and Sunday will have low chances of isolated severe storms, according to the Storm Prediction Center.
More storms may be possible on Monday and even beyond, but confidence in that happening was not high enough, yet, to include severe weather risks in the forecast.
The main threats with any strong storms that develop will be damaging winds gusts capable of toppling trees and power lines, hail and heavy rain. The tornado risk is low.
The National Weather Service said several rounds of storms will be possible over the holiday weekend and into early next week.
The most likely time for those storms to develop will be during the afternoon and evening hours.
The Storm Prediction Center is forecasting a Level 1 out of 5 (marginal) risk for severe weather for Saturday for most of west Alabama and parts of central and south Alabama (see the map at the top of this post for Saturday’s forecast).
The Level 1 risk area runs from northwest Alabama to the southeast and includes areas such as Florence, Birmingham, Talladega, Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Auburn and Troy and points to the west.
Alabama’s coastal areas and the eastern part of the state are not included in the severe weather risk area but could also get some rain and storms on Saturday.
On Sunday there will be another Level 1 risk for Alabama, and Sunday’s risk area includes all of the state except the southwest corner (mainly Mobile and Baldwin counties).
Here’s the forecast for Sunday:
Nearly all of Alabama will have a Level 1 risk for severe weather on Sunday.Storm Prediction Center
The stormy weather pattern could continue into next week.
The weather service said it’s possible there could be additional risks for severe storms on Monday — and possibly beyond — but forecasters aren’t confident enough of that to add to the forecast yet.