Enhanced, Slight, Marginal Risk Levels for Severe Weather in Alabama
As we prepare for severe weather to enter our coverage areas tonight into tomorrow morning, we encourage you to make sure your “do not disturb” is turned off as you go to bed. It will be important that you don’t miss any valuable weather information and directions.
The potential for tornadoes, damaging straight line winds, and hail in our area is being developed out of a much larger system. The Weather Channel said that a “strong low-pressure system kicks out into the nation's midsection, an expansive and intense threat of severe thunderstorms is in play.”
As we continue to monitor conditions, I would like to point out some an update from previous forecasts. The National Weather Service in Birmingham has “extended the Marginal Risk to cover the southeast counties, and extended the ending time.”
Possible Threats
Strong tornadoes
Damaging winds up to 70 mph
Quarter size hail
James Spann, ABC 33/40, and Townsquare Media Tuscaloosa Chief Meteorologist provided the “updated SPC outlooks for tonight. The highest tornado risk is across Northwest Alabama from 10 PM until 2 AM.”
Risk Levels
“A dynamic weather system will bring an organized band of showers and thunderstorms into Alabama late tonight. SPC maintains an "enhanced risk" (level 3/5) of severe storms for areas north and west of a line from Madison to Jasper to Reform. A "slight risk" (level 2/5) extends as far south as I-59 (Gadsden, Birmingham, Tuscaloosa)... and a "marginal risk" (level 1/5) is down to Heflin, Clanton, and Thomasville,” said Spann.
Timing
The National Weather Service in Birmingham said that the timeframe in general is between 10 p.m. Friday – noon Saturday. However, the Townsquare Media coverage area is between 10 p.m. Friday and 8 a.m.
(Source) Click here for more from The Weather Channel. Click here for more information and to follow the James Spann Facebook Page. Click here for more information and to follow the National Weather Service Birmingham Facebook Page. Click here for more information and to follow the Storm Prediction Center Facebook Page.