Significant Severe Weather Event to Impact Alabama Tuesday, February 2, 2016

A significant severe weather event will impact Alabama this Groundhog Day; threats from this storm system include large hail, damaging winds, heavy rain, and tornadoes.

Storms are possible in our area beginning tomorrow afternoon. Tuscaloosa and much of western Alabama has been placed in an "elevated" risk area in the latest National Weather Service Forecast. Take a look at the latest Convective Outlook from NOAA's Storm Prediction Center.

Note that Tuscaloosa and West Alabama has been placed in the highest area of risk. The Storm Prediction Center currently forecasts a 30% chance of severe storms in our area while a 15% chance of severe storms is in the forecast for areas under the "slight" risk area. This means our listening area is twice as likely to be impacted by damaging winds, large hail, and tornadoes.

Here's the latest Hazardous Weather Outlook from the NWS:

SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE REGION LATE TUESDAY
AFTERNOON INTO TUESDAY NIGHT. THERE IS A THREAT FOR TORNADOES...
DAMAGING WINDS...AND LARGE HAIL. THE GREATEST THREAT AREA APPEARS
TO BE ALONG AND WEST OF A LINE FROM SYLVAN SPRINGS IN WESTERN
JEFFERSON COUNTY...SOUTHWARD TO MARION JUNCTION IN WESTERN DALLAS
COUNTY. THERE IS ALSO A THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING DUE TO HEAVY
RAINFALL ALONG A SLOW MOVING LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS.

ADDITIONALLY...GUSTY WINDS AROUND 30 TO 35 MPH ARE POSSIBLE
OUTSIDE THE RAIN AREAS ON TUESDAY AND TUESDAY NIGHT.

We'll continue to update you as the forecast changes. Now is the perfect time to go over your severe weather plan to ensure you and your family are prepared for this potentially high-impact event.