FOGGY START: A dense fog advisory is in effect for the southern half of Alabama early this morning; the fog will dissipate by 9:00 a.m. in most places.
Alabama’s weather will be rain-free through Friday with partly to mostly sunny mild days and fair cool nights. Highs will be mostly in the mid to upper 70s, but a few spots will reach the low 80s today and then again on Friday.
STORMS RETURN: Moisture surges northward, and we will bring in a chance of showers and thunderstorms Saturday. For now we aren’t expecting severe storms, and it won’t be an “all day” kind of rain. But, occasional showers are likely along with some thunder; the high Saturday will be in the mid to upper 70s.
Then, a dynamic weather system with strong wind fields will bring an organized batch of storms into the Deep South Sunday night into Monday morning. SPC has defined a risk of severe storms Sunday night for roughly the northern 2/3 of the state in their “Day 6” outlook, which is valid through 7:00 a.m. Monday.
The risk of severe storms will likely persist through midday Monday across East and Southeast Alabama. While the synoptic (large) scale pattern favors severe storms, we won’t know the mesoscale details for a few more days. Meaning, it is still too early to know the magnitude of the event, the timing, and the primary threats/hazards. Rain amounts over the weekend will be around one inch for North Alabama, with 1/2 inch for the southern counties. Highs Saturday and Sunday will be in the 77-82 degree range.
See the video briefing for maps, graphics, and more details.
ON THIS DATE IN 2021: Eleven tornadoes touched down across Alabama; some of them were long track. One EF-3 tornado carved a path of damage spanning 80.38 miles over its 98 minute lifespan from Hale to Shelby Counties. This was a single tornado, putting it at #7 for the longest single tornado track in the state of Alabama.
Six people were killed by an EF-3 tornado that was down for 38 miles through parts of Calhoun and Cherokee counties. Another EF-3 tornado touched down near West Blocton, and then moved through some highly populated neighborhoods in north Shelby County. Damage was severe in neighborhoods like Eagle Point, Greystone Farms, and Shoal Creek. This tornado was down for 50 miles, and there were five injuries.
Look for the next video briefing here by 3:00 this afternoon… enjoy the day!
